A Handbook for
Outreach
March 2001
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
“Our mission is working with others
to conserve, protect, and enhance
fish, wildlife, and plants and their
habitats for the continuing benefit
of the American people.”
One of the most important changes
in the way the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service accomplishes its mission is
now reflected by three words at the
beginning of our mission statement:
“working with others.” These words
reflect our acknowledgement that
we cannot effectively carry out
our enormous natural resources
management mission single-handedly.
This Handbook for
Outreach, with key guidance,
policies, and helpful tips, will serve
as your one-stop reference on how
to enlist the support of a wide range
of “others,” i.e., our publics, by
improving our communications
with them.
How can Outreach help the Service
do its job? As America continues to
grow, natural resource management
problems have become immensely
complicated by the involvement of
people from many different
segments of the public. Successful
resolution of these problems
requires effective communication
with these publics. To gain their
support for our mission, it is
imperative that we provide them a
clear picture of the needs of fish
and wildlife resources and the
consequences of human intervention,
be they positive or negative. Our
success in this endeavor depends on
how well the American people trust
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
To be trusted by a skeptical public,
an organization must not only
perform well, but also be publicly
appreciated for its good
performance. Our science and
judgment in managing natural
resources are sound, and
creditworthy. However, too many
Americans do not even know who we
are or what we do. As a result, we
are often mistrusted, wrongly
criticized, and many of those who
would share our values work against
us instead of with us. Effective
outreach can help us gain the trust
and assistance of our various publics,
while providing us a mechanism to
listen, and where appropriate,
accommodate reasonable concerns.
Outreach is not just about making
the Service “look good.” It’s
about building trust. Outreach
is a management tool to help us
develop and maintain the trust and
understanding of the American
people. With their trust will come
their support for us in our mission to
conserve, protect, and enhance fish,
wildlife and plants for their benefit.
Foreword
3
This booklet is intended to serve as a
one-stop, quick reference guide on
Outreach, and to serve as your
central location for:
■ Step-by-step directions for
preparing an Outreach Plan
■ A practical overview of key
components of good outreach
■ Regulations, policies and
directives regarding the practice
of outreach.
■ Suggestions and tips to help make
your outreach effective and
creative.
This booklet is designed so you can
update it as needed. Feel free to
customize it by adding articles, other
outreach guidance, or your own
material to keep it up to date.
The National Conservation
Training Center offers training in
all phases of outreach, both at the
Center and in local areas. For
information, check their website
(www.fws.gov/r9nctc/nctc.html) or
call 304-876-7200.
Much of the information in this
Outreach Handbook draws upon the
excellent outreach guidance that has
been previously prepared by
forward-looking Service employees
from all Regions. The fact that
specific material in this booklet has
been incorporated from that
guidance should be seen as the
strongest possible endorsement of
that fine work. Key publications
excerpted in, or used in the
preparation of the Outreach
Handbook include the following:
Region 1:
“Regional Outreach Strategy,” 1992
“Outreach Handbook”
“Field Guide to Outreach”
Region 5:
“One Step at a Time: An Outreach
Handbook,” 1995
“A Plan for Congressional
Relations,” 1998
Region 7:
“Region 7 Outreach Report,” 1995
National Conservation
Training Center:
Various publications and
lesson plans.
Guide to Using the
Outreach Handbook
Acknowledgments
5
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Guide to Using this Booklet and Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Basics of Service Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Danger Zones of Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Components of an Outreach Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 2: Preparing the Outreach Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Outreach Planning Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sample Outreach Plan Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.a. Service Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Key Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
How to Identify, Work with Key Publics for Your Outreach Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Getting to Know Your Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Type of Public vs. Type of Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Making Contact, Achieving Success with Your Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.b. Service Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Antidote to Infoglut: Simplicity, Repetition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Crafting the Convergence: Service Messages—Your Project’s Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3: Special Audiences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.a. Congressional Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Key Contacts for Congressional Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Dealing with Members of Congress and Their Staffs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cautions on Lobbying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Maximizing Your Effectiveness with Elected Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Steps to Establish Congressional Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.b. News Media Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Key Contacts for News Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Press Query Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Your Local Office Policy for Press Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Characteristics of Key News Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Do’s and Don’ts for Interviews with News Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
How to Build and Maintain Good Media Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Pitching Stories to the Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Writing a Press Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Correcting Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.c. Membership in Professional and Community Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Director’s Memorandum: Membership and Participation in Professional Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Director’s Order No. 95: Membership in Community Organizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Table of Contents
7
Chapter 4: Special Outreach Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.a. Environmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Environmental Education—Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Guidelines for Environmental Education in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Guiding Principles for Environmental Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Outcomes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Community-Based Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Do’s and Don’ts for Successful Environmental Education Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Key Contacts for Environmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.b. The Internet/Intranet and Listservers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Name/Number of Regional Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Advantages of Internet in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Disadvantages of Internet in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Listservers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.c. Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Partnerships—Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Advantages of Partnerships to Service Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Partnership Assessment Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Do’s and Don’ts of Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Appendices
A-1 Approvals
Guidance and Forms for outreach-related activities which require approval
A-1 a. Approval form for Publications (DI-550)
A-1 b. Approval form for Audio-Visual Production (DI-551)
A-1 c. Approval for Special Events of National Significance (042 FW 1.1.6.A)
A-2 National Outreach Strategy
A-3 Planning Models
A-3 a. Director’s Memorandum, “Outreach Planning for Significant Decisions”
A-3 b. Region 1 10-Step Model Process (“Field Guide to Outreach”)
A-3 c. Region 5 7-Step Model Process (“Region 5 Outreach Workbook”)
A-3 d. Region 7 7-Step Model Process (��Region 7 Outreach Checklist”)
A-4 Congressional Relations
A-4 a. Reminder and Final Guidelines When Meeting with Members of Congress
Director’s Memorandum, April 1, 1999
A-4 b. Congressional Meetings
Memorandum from Assistant Director,
External Affairs, February 23, 1998
8
Table of Contents
A-4 c. “Contacts with Members of Congress and Staff ”
Director’s Memorandum, November 12, 1997
A-4 d. Congressional Activity Report (Form)
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 e. Committees and Sub Committees of interest to the Service
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 f. Congressional Information Resources
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 g. “Congressional Lobbying,”
Director’s Memorandum, July 26, 2000
A-5 Media Relations
A-5 a. “Letters to the Editor,” by David Klinger
A-5 b. Letters to the Editor, Op-Ed Piece
From IMPACT Notebook, pp 5-10,11,12
A-6 Partnerships
A-6 a. Conservation Partnerships, A Field Guide to Public-Private Partnering
for Natural Resource Conservation
A-7 How-To: Special Events
A-7 a. Manual Chapter 042 FW 1 Dedications and Special Events
A-7 b. Handbook for Dedications and Other Special Events
A-7 c. Special Events From R-1 Field Guide to Outreach
A-8 How To: Public Meetings
A-8 a. The Public Meeting Survival Guide, From R-1 and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
A-9 How To: Presentations
A-9 a. Presentations, From R-1 Field Guide to Outreach
A-10 How To: Outreach Tools
A-10 a.Identify Outreach Tools—Using the Instruments of the Trade
From R-5 One Step at a Time: An Outreach Workbook, Step 5
A-10 b.Outreach Tools—A Suggested List
From R-5 One Step at a Time: An Outreach Workbook, Appendix 4
Glossary of Outreach Terms
9
Table of Contents
Definition of Outreach:
Outreach is two-way
communication between the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the public to establish
mutual understanding, promote
involvement, and influence
attitudes and actions, with the goal
of improving joint stewardship of
our natural resources. (From the
National Outreach Strategy)
The Basics of Service
Outreach
“It’s About Building Trust”
The fundamental purpose of Service
outreach is to build understanding
and trust in the Service by helping
members of various publics
understand who we are, what we do,
and why we do it. The National
Outreach Strategy (See Appendix
A-2) describes a Service-wide
approach that brings consistency to
outreach efforts by specifying
unified messages and a unified
approach for delivering those
messages. All Service outreach—
including yours—gains synergy
through consistency. Your effective
outreach conducted in harmony with
other Service outreach at local,
regional, and national levels will
resonate in audiences, build on
familiar themes, and form a much
stronger impression than outreach
conducted independently.
The Danger Zones of
Outreach
How to do great outreach and stay
out of trouble!
Outreach can be a powerful tool to
help the Service carry out its
mission. However, those involved in
Outreach must insure that it is
carried out in accordance with the
guidance, regulations, and laws. Be
sure to familiarize yourself with
possible restrictions in these areas:
1. Lobbying.
Do not engage, discuss or relay any
information that deals with pending
federal legislation or appropriation
without coordinating closely with
your Congressional Liaison.
(See Chapter 3.a., Appendix A-4)
2. Copyright.
Do not use information materials
taken or copied from private or
commercial sources. This applies to
photographs, film, and videotape
productions, as well as publications.
In some cases, permission may be
granted, but find out how to obtain
permission before you use
copyrighted material.
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs, or the Departmental Office
of the Solicitor)
3. Libel, Slander.
Do not publicly criticize individuals,
organizations, or businesses. Stick to
the Service’s key messages, and you
won’t have any problems here.
4. Accessibility for Citizens with
Disabilities.
When planning for any outreach or
information program, including
exhibits and special events,
remember to take into consideration
citizens with various disabilities.
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for Human
Resources)
5. Surveys.
Surveys are an excellent way to
obtain information about the public,
but formal surveys of the public
may not be conducted without
obtaining approval from the Office
of Management and Budget.
Outreach may draw upon results of
surveys already independently
conducted by others. (See Chapter 3)
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs)
6. Approvals.
Remember that many Outreach
products and activities require
either written approvals from, or
coordination with, specific offices.
Examples include:
a. Publications. In addition to being
approved in advance, publications
should conform to Service
Graphic Standards.
b. Audio-visual productions.
c. Exhibits.
d. New web pages. (Updating
information already posted does
not require approval)
e. Special events that involve high
level officials, or those that focus
on highly visible (or controversial)
issues.
f. Advertising. Use of appropriated
funds for commercial advertising
(unless specifically authorized) is
prohibited.
Plan your outreach early to find out
about and obtain needed approvals.
For details on required approvals,
see relevant chapters, Appendix A-1,
or consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs.
Chapter 1: Introduction
11
Components of an
Outreach Plan
Outreach gains synergy through
consistency
Just like most other endeavors,
effective outreach benefits must be
well planned. This handbook
provides guidance on how to prepare
a plan to make your outreach more
effective and consistent with other
Service outreach. At any given point
in your outreach activity, check to be
sure that your outreach plan and
efforts follow these guidelines:
I. Goals of Service Outreach.
When it is effectively carried out,
Service outreach will:
■ Make it easier for employees to
carry out their natural resource
management responsibilities.
■ Improve support for the agency’s
mission.
■ Build new partnerships
■ Improve service to the public
■ Strengthen the credibility and
stature of the Service.
Test: What are the goals of the
project or program you are
conducting? How do they
correspond with and reinforce
Service outreach goals?
Key Point: Outreach for your project
should support the goals of your
project or program specifically, while
reinforcing the national goals
generally. In other words, the
communication goal of your outreach
should be to focus attention on the
outcome of the Service management
activity, and not just the process of
the management activity.
(See “National Outreach Strategy,”
Appendix A-2)
II. Service Publics.
Outreach efforts should consider
establishing communication with all
potentially interested publics,
always with an emphasis on reaching
the decision-makers and opinion
leaders of each group. Specific “key”
publics you should consider
including are groups or individuals
who have commented on previous
Service actions.
Test: Do your outreach efforts
include each of those groups that
could be most affected by, or
interested in your project or
program?
Key Point: Effective outreach must
target specific, key publics, and
should consider including those with
a record of interest in Service issues.
Recurring outreach with the same
publics builds Service identity and
trust.
(See Chapter 2.a. “Service Publics,”
and Chapter 3 “Special Audiences”)
III. Service Messages.
For members of disparate publics to
understand and remember them, our
messages should be kept simple and
be repeated. These messages help
explain how our work relates to the
public’s areas of greatest concern.
All Service programs and activities
can be explained using one or more
of the following messages:
■ The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is a Federal agency whose
mission, working with others, is to
conserve fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats.
■ The Service helps protect a
healthy environment for people,
fish and wildlife.
■ The Service helps Americans
conserve and enjoy the outdoors.
Test: Are ALL of our outreach
efforts conveying and reinforcing
these messages?
Key Point: In order to get through,
messages must be simple and
repeated, using the same language.
(See Chapter 2.b., “Messages”)
IV. Evaluation.
Effective outreach that helps the
Service can be documented, and can
be quantified in two ways:
Products—Products are what you
produce and distribute to support
your outreach to deliver your
message. Measure them by keeping
a detailed list of what products you
produce, how many, and
documenting when and where they
are used.
Results—Results should be
determined by obtaining feedback
from the targeted publics to
determine whether they are getting
the outreach message, and if
applicable, changing behavior or
attitudes because of the outreach.
The evaluation phase of outreach
planning should include a process for
obtaining this feedback.
Test: Does the outreach being
conducted include a mechanism for
obtaining feedback?
Key Point: Use feedback to find out
whether the targeted publics are
getting the message. The process of
seeking feedback helps build buy-in
and trust.
(See Appendix A-3 for suggestions
on how to evaluate outreach)
12
Why Use the Outreach Plan?
The outreach planning model in this
handbook closely resembles or
corresponds with the models
currently being used by the most
successful organizations in the
world, including the major national
and international public relations
firms. They use it because it
works—not just to look good, but to
help accomplish their organizational
goals.
■ Outreach planning is a
management tool. It requires
involvement and buy in of
managers whose continuing
support is required to make it
happen.
■ Outreach planning helps set
priorities, and ultimately saves
time, money, and the resource.
■ Outreach Plans are now required
for all the Service’s “significant
decisions.” Such decisions can
include, but are not limited to:
Endangered Species Act listings,
high-profile recovery plans,
species reintroductions, land
acquisitions, migratory bird or
predator control actions, public
access to outdoor recreation,
contaminant issues with human
health concerns, major Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
settlements, major scientific
findings on the status of a species
or an ecosystem, or actions
involving large expenditures of
funds. (See Appendix A-3.a.)
Guidance from several Regions, the
National Outreach Strategy, and the
Director’s Memorandum “Outreach
Plans for Significant Decisions” each
have excellent directions on how to
prepare comprehensive, effective
outreach plans. The Region 1
Outreach Handbook describes a
process for building a
“Communications Platform” as a
“blueprint for action.” Region 5
takes a similar step-by-step
approach with its “Outreach
Workbook,” and the Region 7
Outreach Report features an
“Outreach Checklist Worksheet.”
The Region 4 Communications
Model defines five “channels” of
communication in outreach efforts.
Each of these models emphasizes a
comprehensive, collaborative
approach to outreach. They each lay
out a process to produce an effective,
economic, and accountable plan of
outreach activities bound by unity of
purpose and message. Though
individual steps differ slightly
between models, the end result is
the same: A focused effort conducted
throughout the life of a program or
project to generate understanding,
trust, and support from a variety of
groups. This support will have a
direct bearing on the Service’s
ability to successfully accomplish its
projects or activities.
Planning is accomplished best by a
small group of people that may
include project leaders, subject
matter experts, and sometimes even
partner organizations. A facilitator
skilled in outreach planning should
lead the group through the process.
The model in this chapter is taken
from the one provided in the
National Outreach Strategy
(Appendix 2). Since each Service
issue that requires an outreach plan
is new and different, planners are
encouraged to adopt elements from
other outreach models as needed.
Sample forms and references to
other guidance with helpful tips are
also included in this section and in
appendices.
Outreach Planning Model
The main purpose for an outreach
plan is to insure that the efforts you
put into outreach really do help
achieve the Service’s resource
management objectives. A good
outreach plan should be brief and to
the point. The following Outreach
Planning Model identifies the eight
basic components which should be
included in each outreach plan:
Assessment:
■ State the problem, issue or
situation, and why action is
necessary in one or two clear,
concise sentences. The statement
should be simple and direct to
keep everyone focused.
■ Identify those who may be
affected by the problem, issue or
situation.
■ Briefly describe how the current
problem, issue or situation affects
fish and wildlife resources, and
specifically the Service’s ability to
accomplish its objectives in
resource management.
Audiences(s):
■ Which publics (individuals or
groups) can we reach who will
have the most influence on the
outcome of the issue?
■ What are the concerns,
expectations, perceptions and
biases of each of these publics?
■ Describe each target audience in
one concise sentence.
■ List the key “Internal Publics”:
Service and Department Officials
who should be informed of the
issue or situation BEFORE you
begin the outreach.
■ List all Congressional delegation
officials, and other Federal, state,
county or city officials who need
to be contacted about the issue.
Chapter 2: Preparing the Outreach Plan
13
■ List local, regional, and (if
appropriate) national level news
media who may be likely to cover
the issue.
■ List specific constituent and
interest groups who may become
involved and should be contacted
(See Chapters 2.a., 3).
Goal:
■ What is the desired outcome of
the issue or situation?
■ What do we want members of the
identified publics to think, feel, or
do (or not do), as a result of the
outreach on the issue?
■ State the outreach goal in one
clear concise sentence.
Message:
■ What do we want our audiences to
know or understand?
■ How can we use the Service’s
three basic messages to explain
why this issue is important to
people as well as to wildlife?
■ State the main message in one
clear concise sentence
Tools:
■ What outreach tools are most
appropriate to achieving our goal?
■ Which tools are most appropriate
to convey the message to each
audience?
■ List each tool to be used in the
entire outreach effort.
Schedule:
■ Are there specific dates (such as
publication of a Federal Register
Notice, or other deadlines) that
this issue or situation is tied to?
■ List the specific outreach
activities needed for this issue
(for example, briefings of officials,
public meetings, press releases
and press conferences,
development and distribution of
mailings or posters, etc.).
■ Develop a schedule or time line
that shows when each of these
activities must occur.
Implementation:
■ What personnel, funds, and
supplies are needed to implement
this outreach effort?
■ What internal and external
partners can be involved in the
outreach effort?
■ What resources will we provide,
and what resources will partners
provide?
■ List a budget for the entire
outreach effort.
Reality Check:
■ Does every item listed in your
Outreach Plan contribute to
achieving the resource
management goal? Can any item
be improved upon?
■ Identify a method that will be
used to evaluate the effectiveness
of each step in the schedule after
it has been carried out. Be
prepared to use the evaluation to
revise the plan accordingly.
You are now ready to carry out
effective outreach in support of the
Service’s resource-management
goals and objectives!
(For detailed guidance and
suggestions on how to carry out each
of these steps, see Appendix A-3.)
14
Sample Outreach Plan Format
This sample format (which is included in the National Outreach Strategy) should be used for documents
requiring outreach plans. This format may be adapted or modified as needed, as long as the information
covered here is included.
15
Title
(Outreach Plan for the _______________ )
Issue:
(State issue in one or two sentences.)
Basic Facts about the Issue:
(In bullets or short paragraphs, outline basic facts about the action and why it is needed.)
Communication Goals:
(In a few bullets, state what you want to see as the outcome of your communications effort. If appropriate,
address how the action will affect people and include what the Service will do to address public concerns.)
Message:
(In one short sentence, state why this issue is important to people and wildlife. Whenever possible, say how the
action contributes to a healthy, clean environment; to outdoor recreation; or to preservation of important
American heritage and traditions.)
Interested Parties:
(Identify groups/individuals who will be most affected or are otherwise interested in this action)
Key Date:
(If there is a specific date the action is tied to, such as a court action or Federal Register publication, fill it in.)
Strategy:
(Explain your strategy for communicating this information. For example, do you plan to hold a press conference,
accompanied by in-person briefings for concerned groups? Can the information be communicated simply by
news release, or perhaps only phone calls to key people are required?)
Action Plan:
■ (Under “Interested Party,” list who needs to be contacted. Include Members of Congress or their staffs;
State and local officials; news reporters; business/agricultural leaders; and constituent groups. Include
groups who disagree as well as those who support the action.)
■ (Under “Method of Contact,” indicate whether the person will be contacted by phone, personal meeting,
briefing, etc.)
■ (Under “Person Responsible,” indicate what FWS employee or cooperator will make the contact.)
■ (Under “Phone/Fax,” list appropriate numbers so you will have them handy.)
■ (Under “Date,” list date when contact is to be made.)
Action Plan
Interested Party Method of Contact Person Responsible Phone/Fax Date
The National Conservation Training Center offers training on this subject and all phases of outreach,
both at the Center and in local areas. For information, check their website (www.fws.gov/r9nctc/nctc.html) or
call 304-876-7200
Summary: Why should the Service
focus its outreach efforts on various,
specific publics? For one thing,
America has always drawn its
strength from its diversity of ideas.
Because of this diversity, there is no
single public, but rather a great
many separate publics that are
determined by each specific issue at
hand. The bottom line is that many
different publics can have a
significant bearing on how or
whether the Service accomplishes its
mission. The primary advantages of
identifying specific publics are:
1. The more narrowly defined the
target public is, the easier it is to
determine HOW to communicate
with them, and the more effective
the outreach effort will be.
2. Preparing a check list in advance
of key publics helps to ensure that
outreach planning does not
inadvertently overlook a group
that could have a stake in a
Service program or project.
Key Publics
Various Service outreach teams,
such as the Refuges Outreach Team,
and Regional Outreach Teams, have
identified key publics as a checklist
for their outreach activities. Below
are these categories of publics and
some of the reasons why they are
important to include in outreach:
Congress—Delegation and
staff members.
Why? All of the Service publics are
constituents of Congress. Good
communication with Congress is
essential for a federal agency to be
effective and responsive to the
American public.
Conservation Groups.
Why? They have great interest in
resource management, and their
support or lack of it influences other
publics
Corporations—The businesses
community, large and small.
Why? They often communicate
economic impacts of resource
management decisions, good or bad;
can influence Congress; can be a
source of funding or moral support
through partnerships.
Communities.
Why? They can be directly impacted
by Service activities; can directly
impact fish and wildlife resources;
can influence Congress.
Communications (NewsMedia, etc.)
Why? They can directly influence
virtually all other publics.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(“in-reach”)
Why? They are essential for internal
support and to help communicate
messages.
Other Federal Agencies
Why? Their objections can block
Service activities; support enhances
Service credibility, gives momentum
to Service initiatives.
State and Local Government
Why? Their objections can erode
other publics’ confidence or directly
block Service activities. Their
support can enhance a project’s
likelihood of success.
Educational Institutions/Programs
Why? Students adopt long-term
values regarding environmental
stewardship. Student and faculty
opinions can either enhance or erode
Service credibility.
Special interest groups.
Why? They represent and
communicate directly with many
specialized publics; can influence
other publics, including Congress.
Native Americans
Why? They have direct interests in
fish and wildlife resources through
their subsistence, traditions and
spirituality; unique organizational
status and relationship with Federal
government; control of large areas
of land.
Resource users
Why? These groups are well defined
by their common interests (hunters,
birders, anglers, etc.) and often are
directly affected by Service activities
and decisions. They can have direct
impact on resources; can gain
sympathy from or exert influence on
otherwise unaffected publics,
including Congress.
Other publics?
As you plan outreach for each
program or project, do not hesitate
to “think outside the box” when
identifying important publics. Each
new situation is different, and
communities and cultures are
forever evolving. Watch for
opportunities to reach out to new
interest groups and non-traditional
publics who could support the
Service mission.
How to Identify, Work with
Key Publics for Your
Outreach Plan
Warning: Do NOT try this Alone!
■ Determine your key publics for
your outreach plan:
a. Use a group of co-workers
involved in your project to help.
Most of the publics will be
obvious, but those not considered
adequately often cause the most
problems. Your group dynamic
will help identify key publics.
b. Then, go outside of the Service to
ask partners who should be
included.
c. Do not overlook friends—
partners, employees. They can
help communicate to other
publics, and may feel betrayed by
Chapter 2.a.: Service Publics
The more narrowly defined the specific public is, the easier it is
to determine HOW to communicate with them.
16
not getting the word on important
issues. Do not risk losing their
support!
d. Prioritize your publics, so that
you can place your resources
where they will do the most good.
Before you finalize your list,
consider the resources available
to do your outreach, and keep it
realistic.
e. Remember to always include the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—
your chain of command and
fellow employees—as a key
public. Since they, too, are the
Service, it helps them all to know
what the Service is saying to
everyone else!
■ Learn about your publics. Once
you select each public, determine
what they know about the issue:
a. What are their positions on the
issue?
b. What is the best way to
communicate with them?
How do you answer these questions?
A formal survey would help, but you
do not need a complicated,
scientifically precise survey to get a
good idea:
a. Ask their leaders;
b. Or, establish and ask one or more
“key informants,” individual
contacts you know and trust who
are members of the particular
public. Ask your contact to take
the pulse of their group and tell
you frankly what they think;
c. Or, as a minimum, informally ask
several random members (2-6) of
these publics.
Communicate with these contacts
before, during and after your
outreach efforts. Record the
feedback for your evaluation!
Two excellent processes for
identifying and analyzing outreach
audiences have been developed by
Region 1 and Region 5. See
Appendix A-3
Getting to Know
Your Publics:
What Do Americans
Think about Government and
Environmental Issues?
When communicating the Service
messages, it helps to know
something about attitudes of the
American public in general to
anticipate how messages will be
received. The following research,
taken from national surveys in
recent years, may be helpful in
crafting your outreach messages.
According to a December 1998
survey of adult Americans
conducted by Roper Starch
Worldwide for the National
Environmental Education and
Training Foundation (NEETF):
■ More than 60 percent believe the
economy and environment can go
hand in hand.
■ If they had to choose, 70 percent
would choose environment over
economy.
■ Less than 20 percent believe
regulation has gone too far.
■ More than 45 percent believe
regulation has not gone far
enough.
Among the study’s conclusions:
■ Americans are concerned about
the environment and generally
want the government to be
actively involved in its protection.
■ What may be especially alarming
is the widespread and persistent
nature of the misinformation
among most demographic
subgroups. (56% of Americans
believe that six-pack rings are the
main cause of fish and wildlife
entanglement. However, the main
cause is abandoned fishing line
left by anglers, a fact known by
only 10%)
■ There is a need to provide
environmental information in a
form that the American public can
more easily remember and
internalize.
■ The responsibility for moving in
the direction of greater
information and understanding
rests with public agencies, non-governmental
organizations, the
environmental community, and
the media.
An April 1996 Survey by Beldon and
Russonello Research, conducted for
the Consultative Group on Biological
Diversity, reported that Americans
support environmental protections
for the following reasons:
■ Wanting one’s family to live in a
healthy, pleasing environment
(79%).
■ Responsibility to leave the earth
in good shape for future
generations (71%).
■ Appreciation for beauty of nature
(63%).
■ Belief that “all life found in nature
has a right to exist” (55%).
What should the Service’s role in
environmental issues be?
Do Americans hate the federal
government? Are they receptive to
federal agencies taking an active
role in public matters? A June 1998
national survey by the Pew Center
for the People and the Press asked
whether Americans wanted an
“active Federal government.”
According to the survey results:
■ Only 28% of federal employees
believe that Americans are “pro-government.”
■ 33% of members of Congress
believe that Americans are “pro-government.”
But in reality, the survey found:
■ 57% of Americans say they are
“pro-government.”
Other Useful Survey Results
Survey results from various sources
are also available, including
“Wildlife and the American Mind:
Public Opinion and Attitudes toward
Fish and Wildlife Management,”
1998, by Mark D. Duda, et al.,
Responsive Management National
Office, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(www.responsivemanagement.com)
17
Type of Public vs. Type of
Communication
The individual characteristics of
each public help determine the best
strategies for communicating with
that public.
Examples:
■ Most special and public interest
groups (environmental groups,
outdoor recreation groups, etc.)
have internal newsletters whose
editors may use written
materials; they often have regular
membership meetings where oral
presentations may be made.
■ Congressional members and their
staffs get most information from
personal briefings, succinct
briefing statements, formal
reports, Federal Register, etc.
■ Businesses and industry leaders
get information from trade
journals and other specialized
media.
■ Students get information through
school lesson plans from teachers,
and from specialized classroom
publications, like “Weekly
Reader,” “Scholastic,” and
“Science World.”
As you consider each organized
public, make a point to find out how
that organization communicates with
its members and use their media. If
it is an unorganized public, try to
determine specific media that its
members use to get information
about the interests that unite them.
The News Media are a special case,
in that they are both a public and a
strategy to get information to other
publics.
■ As a public, members of the news
media get their information
through:
a. Personal contact (phone calls,
visits)
b. Press releases (by fax, mail, hand
carried, etc.)
c. Internet web sites and e-mail.
(Note: According to a 1999 survey by
Global Financial Communication
Network, 60% of reporters prefer
news releases to be sent by FAX
instead of e-mail. Ask your reporters
their preferences!)
■ As a strategy, news media help to
provide information to virtually
all other publics, but remember:
a. News media are good for raising
awareness about an issue among
many publics.
b. News media are not good for
conveying complex information on
a controversial issue.
(See Chapter 3.b., “Media
Relations”)
Making Contact, Achieving
Success with Your Publics
Make it Personal!
For every public, gaining trust and
support begins with building
relationships and establishing
credibility. In a comprehensive
outreach plan, many methods are
used to help raise awareness, allay
fears and generate involvement. But
when it comes to gaining trust and
effective support, in the end there is
no substitute for personal
relationships with the decision-makers
and opinion leaders for each
specific public.
When public issues become
controversial and generate conflict
between opposing groups (including
the Service), public relations
professionals (e.g., Jackson, Jackson
& Wagner) have crafted effective
communications based on the
following theory of public opinion
and conflict resolution:
1. Whatever one side says, the other
side has data that refute it. Facts
seem to matter less and less and
truth becomes irrelevant in the
public debate. Solid, simple
information must be boldly
presented in a way that grabs
attention. Even then, skepticism
reigns. Information from mass
media tends to reinforce old
opinions rather than stimulate
new opinions.
2. In an atmosphere of conflict,
people form opinions based on
hearsay. Interpersonal, word-of-mouth,
face-to-face programs are
vital because credibility shifts
from the information carried by
mass media to the information
carried by individuals whom
people trust.
3. Communications that focus on the
solution, not the problem, gain
more attention and support.
Emphasis shifts from the
conflicting data to solving the
problem.
4. Success depends on existing
relationships with opinion leaders
and decision-makers. Even if they
do not have a direct stake in the
outcome, these individuals
become trusted, third-party
advocates for “the solution,” and
generate support from those
publics they represent.
Many Service leaders and
individuals have learned that they
can, and must, build those
relationships in person. They make
frequent personal visits with
organizational opinion leaders and
decision-makers and give
presentations to local organizations.
When they become personally
involved with organizations and
community activities, members of
various publics can get to know and
trust them as individuals and
members of the community—not
just “the feds.” They are seen as
qualified and dedicated professionals
who are capable of making resource
management decisions in the best
interests of the community they live
in themselves.
18
Summary: In order to build trust and
support among its many publics
across the nation, the Service must
not only perform its mission well,
but also gain recognition from those
publics. This process begins by
insuring that all those publics
understand first of all who we are,
what we do, and why we do it. The
Service’s basic messages will help
Americans gain this understanding.
Antidote to Infoglut:
Simplicity, Repetition
Why should all Service outreach
use the same messages? Thanks in
part to advances in information
technology, Americans today are
bombarded by information in a
non-stop process that has been
called “infoglut.” Like the Service,
thousands of other organizations
compete for Americans’ attention.
Big businesses spend billions of
dollars globally simply to gain and
retain name recognition, because
they know that in order for the
public to trust their brand name, the
public must first recognize their
brand name. In this highly
competitive atmosphere, the only
messages to get through are those
that are simple and repeated.
By repeating the same messages in
all its activities, Service Outreach
gains synergy through consistency.
All Service programs and activities
can be explained using one or more
of the following messages:
1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is a Federal agency whose
mission, working with others, is to
conserve fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats.
2. The Service helps protect a
healthy environment for people,
fish and wildlife.
3. The Service helps Americans
conserve and enjoy the outdoors.
Crafting the Convergence:
Service Messages—Your
Project’s Messages
Warning: Do NOT try this Alone!
During your outreach planning
phase, use your best creative
abilities, along with those of your co-workers
and partners, to craft the
message which best captures the
Service messages AND those of the
immediate project or activity at
hand. As you refine your messages,
keep these points in mind:
■ Repetition: The more closely the
message captures the meanings
of the Service’s basic messages,
the more synergy it will have with
other Service outreach activities.
■ Simplicity: Can your messages be
conveyed in one or two “sound
bites”? Can it easily be
incorporated into a presentation,
a fact sheet, a public service
announcement (PSA), or an
exhibit?
Be sure to TEST your message
statements on a sample of people
from target publics to ensure that
the messages can be easily
understood.
For more ideas and tips on crafting
your outreach messages, see
Appendix A-3
Chapter 2.b.: Service Messages
19
Summary: As one of the Service’s
most important audiences, members
of Congress and their staffs require
specialized procedures for
communicating important issues
effectively. The term “Congress”
encompasses members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and the
U.S. Senate, and members of their
staffs, both in Washington D.C. and
in their home states or districts. As
an important Service public, all
Service outreach should consider
including Congress in the
communications process.
Chapter 3: Special Audiences
Chapter 3.a.: Congressional Relations
20
Key Contacts for Congressional Relations:
Regional Congressional Liaison: ____________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: _______________________________________________________
U.S. Senator (Senior): ______________________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Addresses (Local/D.C.) ___________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
U.S. Senator (Junior): ______________________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: (Local/D.C.) ____________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
District Representative to U.S. House: ________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: (Local/D.C.) ____________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
Dealing with Members of
Congress and Their Staffs:
Be Proactive, but Be Prudent!
In the past, the Service’s
Congressional Relations activities
tended to be very issue-specific,
often with the Service reacting to
direct questions from members of
Congress or their staffs. In
November 1997, the Director issued
a memo to encourage Service
employees to take a more proactive
approach to congressional relations
by initiating contacts with
congressional Members and staff.
To make the most of these contacts,
they should be carefully planned
following the principles and
procedures of outreach applicable to
other Service audiences.
1. The Goals of outreach to
Congress remain the same as the
goals for all other outreach: To
build understanding and trust in
the Service by strengthening its
stature and credibility, ultimately
resulting in benefits to the natural
resources under Service
stewardship.
2. The Basic Service Messages
remain the same for outreach to
Congress as for all other
outreach. Be sure to reinforce the
Service’s basic messages as you
provide information on specific
issues of interest.
3. Advise your Regional
Congressional Liaison of ALL
contacts you initiate or receive
from Members of Congress or
their staff. Your liaison can offer
assistance and advise you of other
issues of sensitivity you should
understand prior to your contact.
Note: Prior to initiating contacts
with Members or their staffs, be sure
you are familiar with Regional
policies for Congressional
Relations. Contact your Regional
Congressional Liaison for details.
Cautions on Lobbying
In all communications activities
involving Congress, be sure you
understand the federal laws that
prohibit federal employees from
“lobbying”:
■ 18 U.S.C. Section 1913 prohibits
the use of appropriated funds for
activities that directly or
indirectly are “intended or
designed to influence in any
manner a Member of Congress, to
favor or oppose” any legislation or
appropriation by Congress.
■ Recent Interior Appropriations
Acts prohibit the use of
appropriated funds for “any
activity or the publication or
distribution of literature that in
any way tends to promote public
support or opposition to any
legislative proposal on which
congressional action is not
complete.”
In one recent case, a Service
employee was invited by a non-governmental
organization to speak
at a press conference called to
generate opposition to pending
legislation. It was determined that
remarks the employee made at the
press conference “tended to promote
public opposition to the legislative
proposal and hence violated the
restriction.”
Contact your Regional
Congressional Liaison (or, if at
Headquarters, the Office of
Congressional and Legislative
Affairs) for guidance if you have any
doubts as to the applicability of
these prohibitions on an action or
activity you are considering.
See Appendix A-4 for detailed
guidance and additional
information on lobbying.
Maximizing your
Effectiveness with
Elected Officials
While there are many ways to
communicate with elected officials
and their staff, meeting face-to-face
provides an extremely effective way
to convey information. Meetings
should first be scheduled with local
district office staff to introduce
yourself and discuss your
responsibilities within the Fish and
Wildlife Service. Refuge or field
station visits provide an ideal setting
for such meetings. Many staff look
forward to getting out of their offices
and away from phones, e-mail, and
interruptions as much as we do. Give
them the opportunity!!!! Before you
do schedule a meeting, be prepared.
Identify the message you want the
staffer, Representative or Senator
to take home. Begin with the end
in mind. If they’re asking for a
meeting, do your homework.
Research the issue and go prepared.
The following steps can provide
guidance in preparing for a
Congressional visit.
SETTING UP A MEETING
Plan Ahead
Whether you want to meet with a
staff person or the Congressman,
you will need an advance
appointment. Phone or write well
ahead of time, particularly if you
want to meet with the Congressman.
The District office staff generally
schedule the Congressman’s time
while he is in the District, and a
scheduler or appointments secretary
while they are in Washington. Due to
the press of time, the Congressman
may not be able to see you even if
you request a meeting with them
rather than staff. Do not express
any disappointment if this occurs; if
you have a message to communicate,
it should go to whomever they
designate to meet with you. If you
have already established regular
contact with the staff, it will be much
easier for you to get a meeting with
the Congressman.
21
Determine whether the meeting
should be in the District or in
Washington. Generally, you will have
a much better chance of meeting
with the Congressman, and of
spending more time with them, when
they are in the District, while in DC
you are more likely to get a short
meeting with the staff. The Regional
Congressional Liaison can be very
helpful in deciding where to hold the
meeting. Any meeting you hold with
a Congressman or staff in
Washington MUST be reported to
the Regional Congressional Liaison
person, no later than Thursday of
the preceding week, for coordination
purposes.
Create an Agenda
Know what you want to discuss.
If appropriate, provide an agenda
with room to write notes. This can
prompt questions from the staffer or
Congressman.
Keep the Meeting Short and with the
Proper Level of Scientific Detail
If you are meeting with the
Congressman or staff at their office,
either Washington or DC, indicate
how much time you will need when
you request the appointment.
Generally, you should ask for 15 or
30 minutes—less than 15 minutes
indicates the issue is not substantial
enough for them to hear you (unless
it is a “courtesy/just stop by to say
hello” visit, in which case indicate
this), and more than 30 minutes is
probably more time than they have
for any one issue. If, on the other
hand, you have the opportunity to
have the staff or Congressman tour
your facility the meeting will
obviously be longer. Don’t show
more examples of the same issues in
different area of a refuge.
IMPORTANT: Start at the most
basic level. Some staff may know all
of the jargon from the Endangered
Species Act. Most do not.
Know your Representative and
Senators
Remember that the Representative
and/or Senator represents all of
their constituents. That doesn’t
mean they agree with all of the
constituents. Learn the political
background of the elected officials.
Read the newspapers to understand
where the Representative or
Senator is coming from. Your
Regional External Affairs Office
through its Legislative Liaison, can
help you with this task.
Do your Homework
Legislators work on many complex
issues and cannot be expected to be
experts in all of them. Again
remember to start you discussions at
a basic level.
CONDUCTING THE MEETING
Start off on the Right Foot
BE ON TIME. Thank the
Representative or Senator for
taking the time from their busy
schedule to meet with you. Offer the
agenda, if appropriate. Note: if the
meeting consists of touring a facility,
have refreshments available. If
you are away from any place to
have a lunch, provide sandwiches,
drinks, etc. DO NOT USE
APPROPRIATED FUNDS TO
PURCHASE REFRESHMENTS.
Keep it Simple, Concise and Brief
Don’t get bogged down with details
and jargon. Localize the issue by
providing information on which
constituents support your facility or
action and why. Give names of those
who support actions.
Maintain your Credibility
Never speculate, generalize, or
guess. If you are unsure of an
answer to a legislator’s question, it is
appropriate to say, “I don’t know.”
Offer to follow up with a response.
Credibility is the currency of an
effective relationship.
Address Opposition
If you are contemplating an action
that will have a negative effect on
some constituents, be aware of who
those constituents are and what
their concerns are. Develop answers
to those concerns before the meeting
and briefly share both the
anticipated concerns and your
answers with the Congressman or
staff. You will lose considerable
credibility if you do not alert them to
possible adverse public reactions to
what you are discussing.
Provide Resources and Leave
Summary Information
Before you, the elected official, or
their staff leave, make sure all of the
concerns of the elected official have
been answered (or gotten back with).
Leave a ONE page briefing
statement reiterating the highlights
of the purpose of the meeting.
FOLLOW UP ON THE MEETING
Maintain the Relationship
It’s much easier to build an existing
relationship than to develop one
during rough times. Add elected
officials and their staff to your
mailing list for relevant reports. Call
at least once every three months
even if it’s just to check in. Invite
them to special events and photo
opportunities at your facility.
Look to the Future and Hold No
Grudges
Be tolerant of differences of opinion.
There will always be another
instance where each of you will need
support in the future. Always show
your appreciation for the legislator’s
or staff ’s willingness to meet with
you.
In sum, plan ahead, know your
issues and who is affected by your
issues, and know your elected
officials. This applies to state, county,
and local officials.
22
Steps to Establish
Congressional
Relationships
■ Identify and establish contact
with members and staffers.
�� Establish and maintain a process
for keeping them informed.
■ Invite them to visit your field
station or office.
■ Look ahead to special occasions.
Invite lawmakers and staff
individually and collectively to
attend and participate.
■ Do not at any point refer to a
staff person as an “aide”. They
have titles, such as “District
Representative” or “Legislative
Assistant”; if that is too
formal refer to “Jane Doe of
Representative Smith’s staff ”.
When Briefing Elected Officials:
■ Use concrete examples to make
your point
■ Do not offer your personal
opinion
■ Be concise
■ Be specific and practical
■ Offer to help
■ Leave a summary sheet
How to Maintain Contact:
■ Phone calls
■ Letters and Faxes
■ Forward information on a regular
basis
■ Forward photos and news
clippings of news events
■ Repeat PERSONAL contacts
with lawmakers and staff
■ Ask the lawmakers and staff for
their assistance!
■ Highlight your lawmaker’s
assistance. Do NOT mention
staff in press releases or other
communications intended to reach
the public; credit the lawmaker
even if the staff did all the work.
You should, however, thank the
staff person privately, and consider
other steps if appropriate, such as
asking your ARD or Regional
Director to write a “thank you”
note to the staffer.
For more information and hints on
Congressional Relations, See
Appendix A-4
All persons who interact with
Congressional Members or their
staffs are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
23
Summary: The term “News Media”
encompasses the print medium,
including your local newspapers, and
the broadcast medium, including
your nearest television and radio
stations most likely to carry news
about your activity. The news media
are the most economical way to raise
awareness of an issue with the most
people.
News Media are in Business
News is a commodity:
■ To be valuable, information must
be accurate. Inaccurate
information is worthless, and
ultimately harmful to the
business.
■ To be valuable, information must
be current. If it’s old, it isn’t
news.
■ To be a dependable source of
information to the public, most
news organizations operate on
regularly scheduled editions or
broadcasts, and therefore all
work under the constant pressure
of deadlines.
■ The News business generates its
income from advertisers, who are
interested in the size of the
audience—the ratings—the
news operation can generate. The
quest for ratings tends to favor
news coverage that is sensational,
dramatic, conflict-oriented.
News Media and Outreach
The News Media are of particular
importance to outreach activities, in
that they are both a public and a
strategy to get information to other
publics.
■ Public: As one of the Service’s
most important audiences,
members of the news media
require specialized procedures for
communicating important issues
effectively. Each news media
outlet has a decision-maker,
usually an editor or a reporter,
who decides what news will be
carried in each edition or
broadcast. Members of the news
media get their information
through:
a. press releases (by fax, e-mail,
delivery, press conferences/
briefings)
b. personal contact (phone calls,
visits, press conferences/
briefings)
c. Internet web sites, and other
general reference sources.
(Note: According to a 1999 survey by
Global Financial Communication
Network, 60% of reporters prefer
news releases to be sent by FAX.
Ask your reporters their
preferences!)
■ Strategy: The news media is just
one of many strategies to provide
information to the public. It is the
most effective strategy to provide
information to the most people for
the least cost, since virtually
anyone who reads the
newspapers, listens to radio, or
watches television can be reached
through the news media.
However:
a. News media is very good for
raising awareness about an
issue among many publics.
b. News media is not so good for
conveying complex information
on a controversial issue.
For assistance in any news media
activities, be sure to keep in contact
with your Regional Media Relations
Liaison or specified Outreach
Coordinator, located in your
Regional External Affairs Office.
Please fill out the following and keep
the completed form in this handbook
up-to-date for quick reference:
Chapter 3.b.: News Media Relations
24
25
Key Contacts for News Media
Regional Media Relations Liaison: __________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: _______________________________________________________
(Note for reporters below, highlight each one’s preferred method of contact)
Newspaper: ________________________ Addresses ___________________________________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Radio Station _______________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Radio Station _______________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Others:
Reporter/Org. __________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Duplicate as needed
26
Press Query Sheet
Date of Call/Contact: ___________________-
Reporter’s Name: _______________________________________ Organization: _____________________________
Phone/Fax /e-mail: ________________________________________________________________________________
Questions: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Response: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Query Referred to/Coordinated with: __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anticipated Publication/Broadcast Date: ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow-up: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Local Office Policy for
Press Calls
All staff members should
understand office policy for taking
calls from the news media. The
project leader should set policies for
each office and should identify those
who are capable of and comfortable
with serving as official Service
spokespersons for the office. The
following guidance applies to all
Service press relations:
■ All calls from news reporters
should be taken immediately, or
returned ASAP by someone who
has been designated to serve as
an official Service spokesperson.
■ The spokesperson should comment
on or explain issues within the
scope and responsibility of their
project or activities.
■ The spokesperson DOES NOT
NEED to answer every question.
If asked about Regional or
National level policies or issues,
the spokesperson should politely
refer the reporter to the Regional
or National level media relations
liaison, or the appropriate
External Affairs Office. The
spokesperson should assist to
ensure the reporter makes
contact with the appropriate
Service spokesperson.
■ All issues of high sensitivity or
controversy should be discussed
with Regional External Affairs
Staff prior to making comments
to news media representatives.
Examples of sensitive and
controversial issues include:
—Accidents or incidents
involving fatalities
—Public criticism of Service,
especially from elected officials
—Personnel issues
—Law Enforcement issues
(Specific LE guidance has been
issued in Service Manual at
443 FW 2)
—Legal issues, such as lawsuits,
etc.
—Any management action that
involves killing animals
■ When appropriate during
communications with news media
reporters, the spokesperson
should attempt to convey the
Service’s Basic Messages. (See
Chapter 5).
■ Press calls should be documented
(Try using a Query Sheet—see
this chapter) and a summary of
press interactions should be
reported weekly to the Regional
Media Relations Liaison for
possible inclusion in Regional
Weekly reports to Washington
(Call to check for your regional
policies).
Who in your office is/are designated
to serve as official Service
spokesperson in response to calls
from the press?
________________________________
All persons designated to serve as
official spokespersons are
encouraged to take specialized
training offered by the National
Conservation and Training Center.
Characteristics of
Key News Media
When dealing with reporters from
each of the three news media types,
keep in mind those special
characteristics that will help you
communicate specific types of
information to various publics.
Newspapers:
■ Can report in more detail than
other media.
■ Usually have more departments
or sections, more specialty
reporters for analytical stories.
■ Deadlines are usually daily;
cannot easily get first word on
breaking news.
■ Can take an editorial position; can
include Guest Editorials.
■ Features feedback in form of
letters to editor.
■ Usually will print corrections if
their reports contain errors.
■ Will consider using good quality
photographs, graphs, charts, you
provide.
■ Require least logistics for
reporters to cover stories
(reporter, notebook).
■ Usually only one daily newspaper
per community
■ Become historical record
Television:
■ Emphasizes stories that are
dynamic, sensational, and
emotional.
■ Stories are shorter, less detailed,
less analytical than print media
stories.
■ Can report fast-breaking news
several times per day.
■ Little opportunity for corrections
or feedback.
■ Will often use good quality
videotape you provide.
■ Require most logistics to cover
stories (reporter, photographer,
sound technician, etc.)
■ Usually several competing TV
stations per community
■ Very little difference in formats
between competing TV stations
Radio:
■ Reports in least detail
■ Can report news fastest of all
news media, usually on the hour.
■ Many different formats (talk
radio, all news, music with news,
etc.)
■ Different stations cater to
different audiences
■ Most accessible for public service
announcements.
■ Little opportunity for corrections
or feedback.
■ Requires little logistics (phone
interviews, or reporter with tape
recorder)
■ Usually large number of radio
stations per community
27
Do’s and Don’ts for
Interviews with
News Media
Important Do’s:
■ Think through a basic single
message. Use the opportunity to
get it across.
■ Include the Basic Service
Messages.
■ State important facts first.
■ Repeat the messages in several
ways.
■ Bring the reporter back to YOUR
point.
■ Anticipate problem questions, and
have responses ready for them
all.
■ Offer to put the reporter in touch
with other knowledgeable contact
people.
■ Wear uniform or positive Service
identification.
■ If it is a TV interview, check your
image in a mirror first.
■ Offer to provide follow-up
information
■ Speak in public’s interest, not
agency’s.
■ Give a direct answer to a direct
question.
■ If you don’t know the answer, say,
“I can get you that information.”
■ Always tell the truth.
■ Correct reporters when they
make a mistake. Contact them
immediately.
■ Consult with Regional External
Affairs Office.
Important Don’ts:
■ Don’t let a reporter put words in
your mouth
■ Don’t make any statement that
you don’t want quoted, or speak
“off the record.”
■ Don’t argue or lose your cool
■ Don’t say “No comment,” or
“Because it’s our policy.”
■ Don’t ask to read or see a
reporter’s story prior to
publication
■ Don’t use the news media to
criticize others.
How to Build and Maintain
Good Media Relations
Four Steps to Good
News Media Relations:
Identity—Be sure the reporters
likely to cover Service activities and
issues know who you are. Call them
and introduce yourself. Offer a tour
of your facilities or a briefing on
your activities. Be sure they
understand your expertise and that
of your staff members. Do not wait
for a crisis.
Credibility—Be sure the reporters
know your credentials, your
background and your
responsibilities. They will rely on
you as a “source”—an expert
spokesperson who can provide
information on specific topics. Never
risk your credibility by guessing,
exaggerating, or faking it.
Reliability—Once you have
established yourself as a source, be
sure to be available for short-notice
interviews. Always return calls
promptly. Be proactive to bring
issues of importance to the
reporter’s attention, both formally
and informally.
Respect—Always remember that a
reporter has a job to do. They have
an ethic to be truthful and impartial.
They have a role guaranteed by the
First Amendment of the
Constitution to be a government
watchdog, and they take their job as
seriously as you take yours.
Don’t expect a good reporter to
always treat you like a friend, but if
your goal is for the American public
to better understand who the Service
is, what the Service does, and why
the Service does it, then you share a
lot of common ground with that
reporter!
Pitching Stories to the Press
When bringing a story idea to a
reporter, either in a news release or
phone call, think in terms of the
basic elements of a news story, and a
story angle.
Story Elements:
Change—The definition of a news
story is that it is something new, or
previously unknown by the public.
Focus on what is different. It could
be a new way of doing things, or new
information. For example, survey
results and other studies often are
sources of new information.
Superlatives that come from records
(best, worst, most, etc.) all are
potential sources of news. Before
you contact the reporter, decide:
■ What is the HEADLINE for this
story? Help the reporter get that
headline.
Image—News stories are enhanced
with an image. For newspapers or
TV news, the image is a still photo or
video. For radio, the image is
conveyed by sound. Before you
contact the reporter, decide:
■ What is the IMAGE that captures
this story? Help the reporter get
that image.
Attitude—Most stories include a
quote that gives a reaction from
someone involved, a witness, a
victim, or an expert on the subject
matter. The reaction conveys
emotion, context, or perspective in a
sound bite. Before you contact the
reporter, decide:
■ What will you say when quoted
in this story? Help the reporter
to get your quote.
Story Angles:
■ Crime—Abominable acts, abuse
of power, law enforcement
■ Pocketbook issues/Economic
Impacts—Jobs, construction,
tourism, Government saving or
wasting money
■ The following topics offer good
possibilities for wildlife stories:
■ Good News/Bad News—Survey
results, threats to wildlife, listing
actions.
28
■ Kids—Learning about animals,
helping animals
■ Help Wanted—Asking public for
help in finding criminals, report
sightings, etc.
■ Spin-offs—Wildlife links with
other stories (droughts, fires,
weather), and seasonal topics
■ Animal Stories—Unusual
behavior of animals, amusing
photography, etc.
Writing a Press Release
General Principles:
1. A press release is an official
expression of the Service that
could reach thousands or even
millions of people. Be sure it is
totally accurate, and that it meets
regional requirements for review
prior to distribution (If you are
unsure, check with your Regional
Media Relations Liaison).
2. Use official Service letterhead, or
designated Press Release form,
which includes agency name and
phone number and designated
individual for follow up contacts.
3. It is NOT like scientific writing
with key information and
conclusions at the end. It should
use active-voice prose, and begin
with the most important message
up front.
4. Include the appropriate Basic
Service Messages.
5. The purpose of a press release is
to generate responses from
reporters that will lead to stories
in the press, so be sure there will
be someone available to respond
immediately to questions from
reporters.
When crafting your press release:
1. Before you begin, identify the
objective for the press release,
and develop the key message
points you need to include.
2. Focus on the interests of the
public: How are they affected?
Why should they care?
3. Use inverted pyramid format,
with most important facts at
beginning and additional details
in order of importance.
4. Construct a lead paragraph that
answers the questions, “Who,
what, when, where, why?”
Sometimes you may need to
discuss the “how.”
5. Keep it simple, brief, and to the
point.
6. Avoid jargon and acronyms.
7. Consider including a quote from a
Service employee to help
establish the Service’s stake and
credibility in the issue.
Correcting Mistakes
Reporters are human, and even
after your best outreach efforts they
sometimes make mistakes. After you
have worked with a reporter on a
story, be sure to read, watch, or
listen to it carefully for any errors.
Using tact and discretion, bring any
errors immediately to the attention
of the reporter. Keep in mind that
they have a keen interest in getting
facts correct if they are to survive in
the information business, and errors
are usually honest mistakes. They
will not always be able or willing to
make corrections, but your
complaints will let them know they
are under your scrutiny, and they
will be more careful with Service
stories in the future. Whenever you
see errors in media reports, advise
your Regional Media Relations
Liaison, specified Outreach
Coordinator, or other External
Affairs staff of the errors, and how
you are responding. They will alert
other service offices and partners, as
appropriate.
Correcting Errors in Broadcast
Media:
1. When you see or hear an error,
call the station and ask to speak
to the reporter or someone on the
news staff IMMEDIATELY to
point out the error. Your early call
may prevent the mistake from
being repeated in a later
newscast.
2. Your first call should always be to
the reporter who made the error,
if possible. If they convince you it
was an honest error, you may
want to let it drop.
3. If same reporter makes repeated
errors, or seems to be biased
toward making the Service look
bad, contact the news director or
station manager and inform them
of the errors. Ask to have another
reporter assigned to cover
Service issues. Consult your
Regional External Affairs office
before taking this step.
Correcting Errors in Print Media:
1. When you see the error, call the
reporter IMMEDIATELY to
point out the error. Your early call
may prevent the mistake from
being repeated in later editions or
syndication. Ask if the story may
be picked up by a wire service
(AP, UP, Reuters, etc.), and if so,
ask for assistance to correct their
versions.
2. Your first call should always be to
the reporter who made the error,
if possible. If they convince you it
was an honest error and the error
is relatively insignificant, you may
want to let it drop. If it is a
significant error, ask for a printed
correction.
3. If same reporter makes repeated
errors, or seems to be biased
toward making the Service look
bad, contact the editor and inform
him/her of the errors. Ask to have
another reporter assigned to
cover Service issues. Consult your
Regional External Affairs office
before taking this step.
4. If you determine that the error
requires a response in a letter to
the editor, consult with your
Regional Media Relations Liaison
for guidance and assistance.
For guidance on writing Letters to
the Editor and Op-Ed Pieces, see
Appendix A-5
All persons who interact with news
media are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
29
Summary: Service policies encourage
employees to join professional
organizations and community
organizations to enhance Service
professionalism and support. If
approved in advance, Service
funding may be available for
designated membership activities.
A Critical Public: Non-Service
Professional Peers
In difficult and controversial natural
resource management issues, the
Service can generate needed
support with a variety of publics by
gaining the support of non-Service
professional peers. Their third-party
endorsement of a Service position
enhances Service credibility, helps
build trust in the Service position,
and helps move toward greater
acceptance of the position by other
publics.
One way for the Service to foster
relationships with non-Service
professional peers is for Service
employees to become personally
involved with professional
organizations. When Service
employees become members and
participate in these organizations,
they can enhance their own skills
and capabilities while helping build
visibility and respect for the Service.
See Director’s Memorandum on
pages 29-30 for complete details.
Membership in Community
Organizations
By joining local community
organizations, Service employees
build bridges of trust with members
of publics with whom they do not
share the same professional
interests. Instead, community
organizations provide opportunities
to build relationships based on
informal communications regarding
other, non-professional common
interests, ranging from leisure
activities to general community
service. These informal
communications become especially
important for conveying credible
information in a more neutral
atmosphere on controversial issues.
See Director’s Order No. 95 on
pages 31-32 for complete details.
Chapter 3.c.: Membership in Professional and
Community Organizations
30
31
July 27, 1999
To: Fish and Wildlife Service Employees
From: Acting Director /s/ John G. Rogers
Subject: Membership and Participation in Professional Societies
To effectively serve the public in carrying out the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission, we
must maintain a diverse and highly qualified work force of professionals so that our management
is based on the best available science and meets professional standards.
In recent years there have been many advances in knowledge of basic ecosystem processes,
condition of public land resources, and management principles. With the many resource
conservation challenges we face it is essential for all Service employees, regardless of occupation,
to maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills.
We believe that membership, involvement, and participation in professional societies are more
important now than ever, for the purposes of maintaining and enhancing our capabilities in
professional resource management. Our membership and participation will not only help in
developing a professional work force but also enhance the public perception of Service
employees. Other intangible benefits associated with professional society involvement include:
Higher agency visibility and enhanced reputation or respect through employee professional
interactions, participation and networking with others;
Employee growth in both ability and knowledge;
Enhanced effectiveness of employees in carrying out Service programs;
Enhanced employee morale, self-esteem and motivation; and
Development of leadership qualities in Service employees.
Employees may serve in professional organizations under three different circumstances:
(A) The employee participates in the outside organization in his or her private capacity and not
on Government time.
(B) The employee participates in the outside organization in his or her private capacity. However,
the supervisor allows official time for the employee to attend an outside function of the
association, such as a meeting or convention, when the supervisor determines that it is in the
best interest of the Government, and does not result in a direct conflict of interest or create the
appearance thereof.
(C) The Service requires that the employee participate in the outside organization in his or her
official capacity, as a representative of the Service.
32
All employees who are required or who wish to serve as an officer in a private sector organization
while on official Government duty time must (a) have a written Memorandum of Understanding
between the Service and the organization in which the employee is required or desires to serve
as an officer; (b) have a waiver of the conflict of interest prohibition at 18 U.S.C. 208(b) signed by
the Service Deputy Ethics Counselor; and (c) secure training from the appropriate Ethics
Counselor (See Director Order No. 117, dated December 22, 1998, for detailed information).
It is Service policy to support and encourage attendance at appropriate professional society
meetings, while recognizing that budgetary constraints may limit the Service travel support for
attending meetings. With this in mind, we need to review requests for attending non-governmental
meetings on a case-by-case basis. When attendance is approved, the Service will
assist with the travel expenses, attendance fees, and/or duty time for employee attendance at
meetings. Where employees have personally paid membership dues and contributed personal
time and money to maintain professional status, managers should give priority consideration for
attendance at meetings.
We recognize that the Service has limited budgetary resources to pay travel and attendance fees
for everyone who wants to attend a non-governmental meeting. We must set criteria for
determining who the Service will assist in attending the meeting of societies, organizations, or
associations. Criteria listed in priority ranking are offered below to help in determining
attendance at non-governmental meetings for the following:
1. Officials or committee chairpersons in the sponsoring organization, association or society; or,
2. Presenters of papers, speeches or instructors as part of the official program; or,
3. Service representatives who are a spokesperson or on official duties that require interfacing
with the organization; or,
4. Employees with previously identified training needs as reflected in an Individual Development
Plan to enhance their job performance which would be provided by attending symposiums,
paper sessions, or continuing education training at the scheduled meeting; or,
5. General members of the sponsoring organization.
In closing, all managers should encourage professional affiliation and membership in appropriate
organizations, associations, and societies. Managers should take opportunities to invite members
from professional organizations to discuss their activities with employees and to involve Service
representatives in outside task groups or steering committees.
33
United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Washington, D.C. 20240
DIRECTOR’S ORDER NO. 95
Subject: Membership in Community Organizations
Sec. 1 Purpose. This Order promulgates revised U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy concerning
Service and employee membership in community organizations.
Sec. 2 Scope. This policy applies to all Service offices and employees. Community organizations
included under this policy are those such as the Lion’s Club, the Kiwanis Club, chambers of
commerce, or similar organizations that are established to further community well being and
whose purpose and objectives are consistent with those of the Service. Membership in political
and professional organizations is addressed elsewhere and is excluded from the scope of this
Order.
Sec. 3 Policy.
1. Service employees may join any community organization provided that such membership is
paid for by the individual, is for the individual, and does not in any way imply membership as
an employee of the Service. As members of community organizations, all views must be
expressed as those of the individual and not as those of the Service. Employees who pay their
own membership dues may not lawfully represent the organization before a Federal agency,
except in limited circumstances. Questions regarding a specific representation situation should
be directed to the appropriate servicing ethics counselor.
2. Where a Regional Director or Assistant Director determines it is in the best interest of the
Service and where such action will promote outreach to members of the local community and
encourage better understanding and cooperation, he or she may authorize the use of
appropriated funds to secure Service membership in community organizations included
within the scope of this Order.
(1)This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis. This authority may not be re-delegated.
The membership must be established in the name of the Service. Appropriated
funds are not to be used to establish memberships in the name of any individual although a
Service employee or employees may be designated to represent the Service at meetings
and functions of the community organization. Any individual representing the Service is
expected to maintain the position of the Service with regard to representing the
organization before any Federal agency or any other entity.
3. Service employees are prohibited from serving in an official capacity as officer, director,
trustee, or employee of a community organization. The U.S. Department of Justice recently
issued an opinion that states that serving in an official capacity as an officer, director, or
trustee in a non-federal, non-profit entity is a violation of 18 U.S.C. 208, a criminal statute.
The Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, is currently reviewing this issue. It is
expected that the Department will issue policy requiring employees to obtain a statutory
waiver in order to serve in an official capacity as an officer in an outside organization.
We will issue Service policy once guidance is received from the Department.
34
4. Where an individual membership in a community organization is established under section 3a,
an individual serving as an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the community
organization must recuse himself/herself from working on any particular matter as a
government employee when the organization in which he or she is serving has a financial
interest in those government matters.
5. Where an employee joins a community organization under section 3a, it is very unlikely that
the government would provide legal representation to the employee in the event a law suit is
filed against the community organization or the employee as the result of the employee’s
activities with the community organization. Even where the employee is a Service
representative under section 3b, a case-by-case determination regarding government legal
representation will have to be made.
Sec. 4 Effective Date. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until
incorporated in the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual or until it is amended, superseded, or
revoked, whichever occurs first. In the absence of the foregoing actions, the provisions of this
Order will terminate and be considered obsolete on December 31, 1997.
SGD/ JOHN G. ROGERS
Acting Director
Date: May 14, 1997
_________________ (note: effective date has been extended.)
1. To be an eligible organization for Service membership, the community organization may not
discriminate in membership on the basis of any reason such as race, sex, religion, age, national
origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
Environmental Education—
Definition
“Education” is gaining knowledge,
understanding, and skills, by study,
instruction, or experience.
“Environmental education” (EE) is
gaining knowledge, understanding,
skills, and experience about the
environment (i.e. wildlife and
ecosystems) through study,
instruction or experience.
Environmental education, when
planned to support our goals and
objectives for resource management,
can be a powerful outreach tool.
Environmental education is a
process aimed at developing a world
population that is aware of and
concerned about the total
environment, and its associated
problems. It provides the
knowledge, skills, attitudes,
motivation, and commitment to work
individually and collectively toward
solutions for current problems and
the prevention of new ones.
EE has been referred to as “a long-term
means to the even longer-term
end.” Many educators have
recognized the long-term advantage
of reaching out to young people who
are still forming the values they will
hold throughout their life times. As
such, they are much more receptive
to new ideas than their adult
counterparts and far more likely to
adopt a philosophy of natural
resource conservation that will stay
with them throughout their lives.
Broadening the Scope of
Environmental Education:
Does EE need to be limited to young
people? Absolutely not. For one
thing, EE programs can become a
bridge for working with other
publics, such as public interest
groups and community organizations
working toward goals they have in
common with the Service. In
addition, the creative approaches to
learning that EE programs often use
can be adopted for use with other
publics in non-academic forums, such
as presentations to groups, special
events, and even one-on-one
meetings with opinion leaders.
To be effective, EE cannot stand
alone to carry messages to all
publics. The 1998 survey data from
the National Report Card on
Environmental Knowledge,
Attitudes, and Behaviors found “no
evidence that parents have higher
levels of environmental knowledge
than other adults,” so we can not do
just “kids” programs as a way of
reaching adults. Though it can be a
powerful force for outreach, EE
must be a part of a well coordinated,
comprehensive outreach plan that
uses the best tools to convey the
same basic message, adjusted for
each separate audience.
To keep pace with the increasing
complexity of resource-management
issues, Service-conducted EE is
broadening its scope to reach
beyond the formal education setting
with K-12 audiences to education of
target audiences of all ages. This
does not mean that we stop working
with children, but that we consider
them as one of many audiences to
reach. From the day we are born
until the day we die, we all continue
to learn. As our experiences change,
and knowledge and awareness are
enhanced, our attitudes and
behaviors shift accordingly. Service
EE strives to recognize that all
publics are subject to continuing
education and works toward
behavior shifts being responsible
towards the environment.
Many excellent EE plans and
materials have already been
developed. Before you spend time or
resources on curriculum
development, check out what may be
available from fellow Service EE
specialists and nationally recognized
EE organizations. Ask your
Assistant Regional Director,
External Affairs, or check with the
National Conservation Training
Center for assistance.
Part of the Plan:
EE benefits the Service most when
it is part of a larger National
Outreach Strategy, with its goals,
audiences, and messages. When
developing educational materials, be
sure they complement the Strategy
and other Service outreach plans,
with complementary goals, target
audiences, and specific messages
that need to reach those audiences.
As Service Director Jamie
Rappaport Clark has said, “I urge
you to think about environmental
education in new ways; not just as
kid stuff, but as a way to reach
additional audiences and build new
community partnerships in support
of healthy fish, wildlife, and plant
resources for the future.”
Guidelines for Environmental
Education in Outreach
According to the National Outreach
Strategy, environmental education
activities should be planned and
executed and support other Service
outreach to:
1. Include information about the
Service and its mission (Basic
Messages).
2. Help build community
relationships.
3. Support specific Service resource
priorities.
4. Make effective use of Service
resources.
5. Serve the needs of field stations.
6. Reach the broadest possible
audience.
Chapter 4: Special Outreach Tools
Chapter 4.a.: Environmental Education:
It’s Not Just Kid Stuff
35
When effectively integrated into
Service outreach plans, EE can help
in these ways:
1. Reach other influential members
of the community, including
teachers, school board members,
and elected officials.
2. Enlist the help of young people in
projects that benefit resources,
such as environmental clean-up,
visitor services, and monitoring
wildlife activities (for example,
the Internet-based Sister Schools
Shorebird Project)
3. Generate opportunities for news
media coverage.
4. Build a long-term constituency of
individuals who value the nation’s
fish and wildlife resources.
Guiding Principles for
Environmental Education:
1. Environmental education is an
important and effective
management tool and should be
resource-based to meet the
Service mission and management
goals and objectives.
2. Environmental education services
should be multi-disciplinary and
multi-cultural to meet the needs
of all populations.
3. Environmental education should
aim to develop in people of all
ages an understanding,
appreciation, and support for fish
and wildlife management and
encourage active participation in
resource protection.
Outcomes:
A sense of ownership in the fish and
wildlife related issues of the local
area will generate a sense of concern
and support for fish and wildlife
management policies and national
programs. Environmental education
programs developed and
implemented within the Service
must meet nationally established
criteria, yet be tailored to meet each
Region’s needs and issues. Model
programs, curriculum packages,
teacher training workshops, and
other programs will enable
participants to:
1. Gain an appreciation for the
importance of fish and wildlife
resources and their habitats
2. Understand the ecological
concepts upon which Service
management concepts are based.
3. Comprehend the issues
surrounding the management of
fish and wildlife resources, and
the critical problems confronting
the resources.
4. Make informed, responsible
decisions about fish and wildlife
resources and take positive action
toward solving the problems
confronting the resources.
Community-Based
Education:
One powerful and effective
environmental education strategy is
community-based education. This
strategy involves conducting the
outreach in the area where change
needs to occur, and specifically
aiming for the different age groups
or constituents within that area. A
typical community-based approach
might include the following:
■ Conducting a teacher workshop
■ K-12 (kindergarten through
twelfth grade) education activities
at the school
■ Hosting a family evening or
weekend program or
presentation,
■ Hosting a city meeting,
■ Providing an open house, and
■ Having a meal or coffee break
with key individuals in the
community.
Success hinges on reaching everyone
in the community in some way
during the same time frame.
Eventually, citizens of all ages
throughout the community will
recognize the consistency of the
messages you want to convey
through your education programs.
When they begin to discuss the issue
among themselves, the program is
working!
In large cities, where a sense of
community may be lost, proper
front-end outreach planning will
help ensure the correct “outreach
mix” to needed to bolster the
education component and increase
chances of success. The broad reach
of community-based environmental
education greatly enhances its
ability to support resource
management objectives.
Do’s and Don’ts for
Successful Environmental
Education Programs
Important Do’s:
■ Plan your environmental
education programs to directly
reflect your resource
management issues.
■ Plan your K-12 education
curriculum to meet the National
Science Standards.
■ When possible, take a community-based
approach to environmental
education.
■ Make your programs fun and
engaging (hands-on learning).
■ Focus on your specific messages,
goals, and objectives.
■ Evaluate the success of your
programs frequently.
■ Consider education programs for
all ages.
■ Be flexible and creative.
Important Don’ts:
■ Don’t lose sight of your goal
because it seems to be taking too
long to get there. Baby steps are
okay!
■ Don’t forget to provide
opportunities for people to get
involved in conservation
initiatives.
■ Don’t get stuck in a rut. If one
method isn’t working, just
restructure your program.
■ Don’t hesitate to reach out to
your colleagues and friends for
ideas and support.
36
37
■ Don’t do programs that are not
working towards your
management and education goals
and objectives.
■ Don’t forget that you are a role
model to students and other
people, on or off the job.
■ Don’t forget to reward your
partners/volunteers for their
support.
■ Don’t say “I can’t afford it” or “I
don’t have time.” We can’t afford
to NOT do education.
■ Don’t rely on environmental
education alone to communicate
about immediate issues. EE is a
long term effort and only one part
of an effective outreach program.
Persons involved in environmental
education are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
Key Contacts for Environmental Education
Service Contacts:
This Office:
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Regional Office:
Environmental Education Point of Contact: ___________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
Other Regional Points of Contact: ____________________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
National Conservation
Training Center:
Points of Contact: __________________________________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
Area School Contacts:
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
Internet: As the number of people
who are “online” increases, so does
the importance of including the
Internet in outreach planning as an
important communications tool.
When used skillfully, the Internet
can relay information to the
scientific community, the education
community, other agencies, the
business community, and many
others.
As with any outreach tool, the
Internet is most effective when used
in concert with coordinated outreach
involving traditional tools. You see
articles and ads in newspapers,
magazines, and on television and
radio, highlighting Internet
addresses (URLs). You see URLs on
business cards. Web pages enhance
standard outreach techniques,
rather than replace them.
Each Region and many Service
programs have websites already in
place. If you are contemplating using
the Internet for your outreach
activity, get in touch with your
Regional External Affairs Office and
your Regional Webmaster for
specific policies, guidance and
advice.
Intranet (SII): The Service’s Internal
Internet, or the SII, operates like an
Internet website but has been
designed to be used and accessed
only by Service employees. It allows
us to store and share information
not used by the general public, like
meeting notes, procedures and
policies, document drafts,
discussions, etc. Visit the SII at
http://sii.fws.gov.
Name/Number of Regional
Webmaster:
_______________________________
For general guidance, be sure to
check out the Service’s Web
Publishing Home Page at
http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
and the Outreach Home Page in the
Service’s Internal Intranet at
http://sii.fws.gov/outreach/
Both are solid sources of additional,
up-to-date information and who-to-contact
links. For guidance on
specific Internet/Intranet activities,
check the dozens of Online Tutorials
at http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
train/tutorials.htm
Several of particular interest are:
■ How to Plan and Coordinate Your
Web Site With Others Inside/
Outside FWS
■ How to Choose the Right Tool
(Print Publications, Web Pages,
Listservers, Newsgroups, TV,
etc.)
■ How to Write for the Web
Audience(s)
■ How to Build and Maintain a Site
With Non-FWS Partners
■ How FWS Can Advertise and Sell
Products Via the Web
■ How to Build a Virtual Visitor
Center
The Service also has a publications
site at http://www.nctc.fws.gov/
library/.
Advantages of Internet in
Outreach:
■ Access to large numbers of the
public, both nationally and
internationally.
■ Ability to target specific publics.
■ Ability to measure effectiveness
(number of “hits”).
■ Ability to obtain direct feedback
from on-line public.
■ Ability to include very complex
information, including graphics,
maps, etc.
■ Rapid transfer of information
(highly important in crises,
controversies).
■ Reduction of costs for printing
and mailing publications and
documents.
Web pages allow you to “broadcast”
(and color pictures are free!) and
they also allow you to “narrowcast.”
We can bypass the filtering done
by the mass media. On the Web,
you can reach biologists, farmers,
schoolteachers, and other audiences
with a tighter focus than even radio
provides.
Chapter 4.b.: The Internet/Intranet and Listservers
38
Disadvantages of Internet in
Outreach:
■ Requires expense, expertise, and
time to build and maintain a
useful website.
■ May be subject to “hacking,”
viruses, or other information
distortion.
■ On-line Public is generally limited
to middle or upper income
population.
■ For maximum exposure, websites
generally require promotion by
other means of communication.
The official Directorate guidance
regarding Web publishing is online
at: http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
dirguide.htm
Director’s Memo (May 28, 1998)
creating the Web Publishing Council
Director’s Memo (October 13, 1998)
requiring Web publishing plans from
each AD/RD and the actual Web
Publishing Plans that resulted.
All Employee Message (October 19,
1998) on Coordination and Review of
Service Internet Publications.
Listservers
The Service uses various web-based
Listservers to broadcast simple and
quick information to a list of internal
and external subscribers.
Listservers are another way of
receiving up to date information
which appears in you email. Those
who are involved in outreach should
consider subscribing to the fws-outreach
listserver, along with the
fws-news listserver and the fws-web
listserver to stay up-to-speed on
what’s happening in Service
outreach, news/press releases and
web management.
To subscribe to the fws-outreach
listserver:
Click on New Memo
In the “To:” brackets type,
listserv@www.fws.gov
Leave the “Subject:” line blank.
Tab into the body section of the
message and type:
subscribe fws-outreach
your email name
Click on Send.
To subscribe to the fws-news
listserver:
Go to http://news.fws.gov/
listser.html
39
Forming partnerships can be the
Service’s most successful and
productive outreach activity. By
forming partnerships, the Service
establishes the closest possible
relationships with members of
publics that are willing to provide
the highest level of support for
specific issues. Virtually all Service
programs and initiatives can be
strengthened through the formation
of partnerships.
Partnerships—Definitions:
A partnership is a type of
collaboration. Collaboration is a
mutually beneficial and well-defined
relationship entered into by two or
more organizations to achieve
results they are more likely to
achieve together than alone.
A partnership is a voluntary
collaboration of individuals,
organizations, or both, to achieve
common goals on a specific project
within a definite amount of time. It
often involves exchange or flow of
money or resources.
Why Partnerships?
As many Service project leaders
have recognized, partnerships often
provide the only politically and
fiscally practical way to resolve
conflicts in an increasingly
competitive and complex world. As
they go through the process of
forming these bonds with specific
publics, the project leaders learn
more about these publics, their
concerns and their strengths. Once
the bond of partnership is properly
forged, both agency and public take
on a “we’re all in this together”
attitude, and the resources are the
beneficiaries.
Advantages of Partnerships
to Service Outreach:
■ The existence of a partnership
conveys a high level of trust and
confidence in the Service on a
given issue, thereby enhancing
Service credibility among other
publics.
■ Partners can assist the Service by
helping to convey Service
outreach messages to other
publics.
■ Partnerships strengthen Service
programs and activities by
contributing financial, intellectual,
and/or moral support from
partners.
■ Partners bring the strength of
diversity to an agency or project.
Partnership Assessment
Guide
■ Will the partnership solve or
significantly impact a problem?
■ Is the time available for
participation by partners?
■ Are the goals of the project in the
interest of the agency and within
its mandate?
■ Do your prospective partners all
have a reason to participate in the
partnership?
■ Are cooperation and collaboration
needed to do the project?
■ Do you need additional
information or resources that the
partners can provide?
■ Is acceptance of the decision or
project critical to effective
implementation?
■ If you made the decision or did
the project on your own, would
the involved stakeholders accept
it?
■ Has the partnership identified all
groups needed for the project to
be successful?
■ Will the partnership be voluntary
and equitable?
Do’s and Don’ts of
Partnerships
Do:
��� Take the initiative. Talk to people.
Think creatively about ways to
work with others to achieve
commons goals while furthering
agency objectives.
■ Clearly define the objectives of a
potential partnership, the
resources that each participant
would bring to the activity, and
the benefits that each stands to
gain.
■ Be inclusive. Early on, involve
people whose approval or
participation will be ultimately
required.
■ Put ideas in writing for people
who may be interested. Make
sure to represent them as ideas
rather than agreement.
■ Learn about prospective
partners. Be comfortable with
their reputations and capabilities
before joining or forming a
partnership with them.
■ Investigate alternative strategies
for achieving the objective. Are
other avenues or other partners
better suited to accomplish the
objectives?
Chapter 4.c.: Partnerships
40
■ Be realistic in estimating the
often lengthy time periods
required to initiate and
implement a partnership.
Anticipate, be prepared for, and
expect delays.
Don’t:
■ Limit the ways you use
partnerships to further agency
objectives.
■ Wait until the last minute to bring
in supervisors, public affairs, or
agreement specialists to review
the contemplated partnership.
■ Endorse any company or external
product that will be put up for
sale.
■ Exceed your authority to solicit
partnership funding from private
sources.
■ Lose focus on the goals of the
partnerships.
■ Get into turf battles.
■ Get frustrated if there are delays.
Remember that time periods are
estimates only!
For additional information on
forming partnerships, see
Appendix A-6
All persons involved in forming
partnerships are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
41
Above the Fold—Literally, the
location on the front page of a
newspaper that appears above
where the newspaper is folded. This
location is reserved for the most
important stories.
Actuality—The portion of a radio
news report which is recorded at the
scene of the story, including natural
sound or taped interview.
Ambush Interview—When a TV
news crew arrives without advance
notice to interview a person who is
not expecting the interview. Caught
off-guard, the subject of the
interview often looks furtive or
guilty of something.
Anchor—A news person who
usually is broadcast from the TV
station and introduces stories by
other reporters, or reads stories
from behind a desk. Often anchors
work in pairs.
Angle—The approach, focus, or
emphasis that a reporter takes when
preparing a story.
Arbitron—A commonly used service
which measures broadcast audiences
for radio stations.
Art—In newspapers and magazines,
and illustration, chart, graphic, or
photograph that accompanies a
story.
Assignment Editor—In a radio or TV
newsroom, the person who
determines which reporters and
photographers will cover which
stories. Though the assignment
editor is not the only member of a
news staff who determines which
stories will be covered, he/she is the
single best person to contact if you
have a story you want to be covered.
B Roll—Videotape showing scenes
or images that are generally related
to a particular story or subject, such
as scenery, wildlife, people working,
etc. B roll is used during the editing
process to add additional visual
interest to a story.
Bird—A broadcast satellite.
Bite—Short for “sound bite,”
referring to the small portion of a
recorded radio or TV interview
which is used in the reporter’s
story. Bites usually last no more
than 15 seconds. Bites from separate
portions of the same interview may
be edited together to make them
appear as if they were spoken
together.
Block—A set of news stories on a
news cast which are broadcast
together, without interruption for a
commercial break. Stories in the
first “block” are those the station
deems most newsworthy.
Break—In TV: The periods of the
newscast during which commercials
are run. In Newspapers: The place
where a story ends on one page, to
be continued on another.
Breaking News—See “news” below.
“Breaking” news is distinguished by
that news which is most immediate,
or happening at the time of the
report.
Bug—A small microphone that can
transmit conversations. A bug that is
secretly planted to record
conversations without the knowledge
of those recorded is illegal under
FCC regulations except when used
by police with a warrant.
Bulldog Edition—The first edition
of a newspaper.
Call Letters—The letters which
identify radio and TV broadcast
stations. Stations west of the
Mississippi begin with “K,” east of
the Mississippi they begin with “W.”
Canned Story, or In the Can—A story
that is ready to be printed or
broadcast. Often used to refer to a
story written or produced by a wire
service, network, or source other
than the news organization using it.
Congress—For purposes of Service
outreach, the term “Congress”
encompasses members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and the
U.S. Senate, and members of their
staffs, both in Washington D.C. and
in their home states or districts.
Chroma-Key—A TV device used to
superimpose graphics or words on
the image being broadcast, such as
the name and title of the person
shown speaking.
Crawl—Additional information in
the form of words and numbers
which move horizontally across the
bottom of the TV image while
regular programming is underway.
Usually provides emergency or
bulletin information such as weather
warnings, elections results, etc.
Cutline—The information below a
photograph which describes the
contents of the photograph and may
give photo credit.
Dateline—The first words in a print
news story which indicate where the
story comes from, and often the
source, which is often a wire service,
for example, SAN FRANCISCO—
Reuters. In prior years, the date was
also included (hence the name
“dateline”), but today all news
stories are assumed to be dated the
same day as published, and most
papers delete the date.
Glossary of Outreach Terms
G–1
Defamation—“Communication that
exposes a person to hatred, ridicule,
or contempt, or lowers him in the
esteem of his fellows, causes him to
be shunned, or injures his business
or calling. Its categories are libel–
broadly, printed or written material;
and slander–broadly, spoken words.”
(–Law of Mass Communications,
Nelson and Teeter.)
DBS—Direct broadcast satellite,
referring to a satellite which relays
TV signals directly to the viewer
from the source, rather than to a
local TV station or cable system for
relay to the viewer.
Display Advertising—Newspaper
ads that use large blocks of space,
usually including art or photos,
distinguished from classified ads.
Dub—Copy of a videotape or audio
tape.
ENG—Electronic news gathering
using videotape as the medium.
Environmental Education (EE)—
Gaining knowledge, understanding,
skills, and experience about the
environment (i.e. wildlife and
habitats) through study, instruction
or experience.
Equal Time—The federal
requirement that any broadcast
station which provides air time to a
political candidate during the
election process must provide equal
time to other candidates.
Exclusive—A news story that only
one news outlet covers, sometimes
by arrangement with the source of
the story. Also called a “scoop.”
Fairness Doctrine—In the past, this
was a federal FCC requirement that
broadcasters cover all sides of
controversial stories of public
importance. This requirement was
repealed in 1987.
FCC—The Federal Communications
Commission, which regulates all
electronic transmissions in the U.S.,
including radio, TV, cell phones, etc.
Feature—A news story that may not
be as timely or urgent as “hard”
news, and usually has a human
interest angle.
Grip—An assistant who works with
a TV crew, usually the sound
technician.
Hard News—See “News,” below.
“Hard” news is distinguished by its
emphasis on facts—the who, what,
where, when, and how of the story—
with a minimum of interpretation.
Hot—In broadcast production, any
of the following: a microphone that is
on; sound that is too loud; lighting
that is too bright.
Intercut—A TV editing technique
that places one person’s interview
directly next to another person’s
interview, without showing the
reporter, usually to heighten
controversy between opposing
viewpoints.
Key Informant—An individual
member of a particular public or
group whom you can rely on to help
you understand what that group is
thinking or feeling about particular
issue.
Kicker—The last story in a
newscast, usually something cute,
funny, or unusual, to end the
newscast on an upbeat note.
Lead—The opening sentence or
paragraph of a print news story,
which usually contains addresses the
who, what, where, when of the story.
Lead-In—The part of a news story
read by the anchor to introduce the
reporter’s story. The broadcast
equivalent of the headline for the
story.
Libel—See “Defamation,” above.
Listener—A video shot of the
reporter listening the to the person
being interviewed. Sometimes called
“noddies,” because the reporters
often nod during the shot, as if they
agree with or understand what the
person is saying. These shots are
used in the editing process as
cutaways for smoother transitions
between sound bites.
Masthead—The box in a newspaper
that shows the newspaper name,
editor, publisher, often on the
editorial page.
Morgue—The library of a
newspaper that keeps copies of
previous stories by subject.
Reporters rely on morgues for
background information.
News—A timely event that will
have wide interest to most people,
such as a disaster, an important
discovery, unusual weather event,
etc. Generally, the news media
consider an event to be “news” if
they say it is.
News Director—The person in
charge of the entire news
department in a TV or radio station,
and who does the hiring and firing of
all reporters, anchors and technical
crew.
G–2
Glossary of Outreach Terms
News Hole—The space in a
newspaper for news stories, which
increases or decreases along with
the amount of the advertising for the
day.
News Peg—A local news story that
is linked to another larger or
ongoing story, including national or
international stories.
Op-Ed—The page in a newspaper
opposite the editorial page, which
usually contains other opinions,
letters to the editor, etc.
Out-Takes—Audio and videotape
taken in the course of news
gathering, but not used in the story
that is aired.
Outreach—Two-way communication
between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the public to establish
mutual understanding, promote
involvement, and influence attitudes
and actions, with the goal of
improving joint stewardship of our
natural resources.
Package—A complete videotape
production of an individual TV news
story, which usually includes the
reporters report, background audio
and video, and one or more
interviews.
Partnership—Voluntary
collaboration of individuals,
organizations, or both, to achieve
common goals on a specific project
within a definite amount of time. It
often involves exchange or flow of
money or resources.
Pool—A group of reporters and
photographers who agree among
themselves that one will cover the
story and share the story and/or
photos/video with others. These
arrangements are usually made only
when access to a story location is
limited. Note: If a government
official can offer only limited access
to a story location (for instance,
because space on an aircraft is
limited), the official should allow
interested reporters to make their
own pool arrangements, not assign
one.
PSA—Public Service
Announcement. Used on radio and
TV stations like commercials, these
short spots generally run free of
charge, from 10 to 60 seconds each,
and address some item of general
public interest. Though no longer
required by FCC regulations, most
stations still run PSAs to meet their
general FCC licensing requirement
to operate “in the public interest.”
Reader—A story that is read by an
anchor news person, without
accompanying visuals.
Release—A written agreement that
gives permission for the media to
use one’s picture or voice for
commercial purposes. A release is
not needed for news coverage.
Scoop—See “Exclusive” above.
Second Generation—Videotape
image copied from the original
videotape. With each successive copy
of a copy (third generation, fourth,
etc.), the image quality deteriorates
rapidly.
Side Bar—A secondary story
related to a larger story. Side Bars
are often feature story treatments of
an element from a hard news story.
Slander—See “Defamation,” above.
Standup—The portion of a TV news
story in which the reporter is shown
speaking directly to the viewer,
usually from the location, and to
close the story.
Talent—Jargon for those in TV
news who are actually shown on TV,
i.e., the reporters, anchors, weather
forecasters, and not the
photographers, technicians, etc.
Tight Shot—A picture in which only
one person is shown, often a closeup
of the person’s face, with little visible
background.
Tombstone—Two newspaper story
headlines are placed side-by-side,
with similar type size and font, so
readers may confuse them as one
continuous headline. It is a bad
layout.
Two-Shot—A picture showing two
persons, usually the reporter and
the interview subject talking
together.
Wrap—A TV or radio story that is
“wrapped” around a q

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A Handbook for
Outreach
March 2001
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
“Our mission is working with others
to conserve, protect, and enhance
fish, wildlife, and plants and their
habitats for the continuing benefit
of the American people.”
One of the most important changes
in the way the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service accomplishes its mission is
now reflected by three words at the
beginning of our mission statement:
“working with others.” These words
reflect our acknowledgement that
we cannot effectively carry out
our enormous natural resources
management mission single-handedly.
This Handbook for
Outreach, with key guidance,
policies, and helpful tips, will serve
as your one-stop reference on how
to enlist the support of a wide range
of “others,” i.e., our publics, by
improving our communications
with them.
How can Outreach help the Service
do its job? As America continues to
grow, natural resource management
problems have become immensely
complicated by the involvement of
people from many different
segments of the public. Successful
resolution of these problems
requires effective communication
with these publics. To gain their
support for our mission, it is
imperative that we provide them a
clear picture of the needs of fish
and wildlife resources and the
consequences of human intervention,
be they positive or negative. Our
success in this endeavor depends on
how well the American people trust
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
To be trusted by a skeptical public,
an organization must not only
perform well, but also be publicly
appreciated for its good
performance. Our science and
judgment in managing natural
resources are sound, and
creditworthy. However, too many
Americans do not even know who we
are or what we do. As a result, we
are often mistrusted, wrongly
criticized, and many of those who
would share our values work against
us instead of with us. Effective
outreach can help us gain the trust
and assistance of our various publics,
while providing us a mechanism to
listen, and where appropriate,
accommodate reasonable concerns.
Outreach is not just about making
the Service “look good.” It’s
about building trust. Outreach
is a management tool to help us
develop and maintain the trust and
understanding of the American
people. With their trust will come
their support for us in our mission to
conserve, protect, and enhance fish,
wildlife and plants for their benefit.
Foreword
3
This booklet is intended to serve as a
one-stop, quick reference guide on
Outreach, and to serve as your
central location for:
■ Step-by-step directions for
preparing an Outreach Plan
■ A practical overview of key
components of good outreach
■ Regulations, policies and
directives regarding the practice
of outreach.
■ Suggestions and tips to help make
your outreach effective and
creative.
This booklet is designed so you can
update it as needed. Feel free to
customize it by adding articles, other
outreach guidance, or your own
material to keep it up to date.
The National Conservation
Training Center offers training in
all phases of outreach, both at the
Center and in local areas. For
information, check their website
(www.fws.gov/r9nctc/nctc.html) or
call 304-876-7200.
Much of the information in this
Outreach Handbook draws upon the
excellent outreach guidance that has
been previously prepared by
forward-looking Service employees
from all Regions. The fact that
specific material in this booklet has
been incorporated from that
guidance should be seen as the
strongest possible endorsement of
that fine work. Key publications
excerpted in, or used in the
preparation of the Outreach
Handbook include the following:
Region 1:
“Regional Outreach Strategy,” 1992
“Outreach Handbook”
“Field Guide to Outreach”
Region 5:
“One Step at a Time: An Outreach
Handbook,” 1995
“A Plan for Congressional
Relations,” 1998
Region 7:
“Region 7 Outreach Report,” 1995
National Conservation
Training Center:
Various publications and
lesson plans.
Guide to Using the
Outreach Handbook
Acknowledgments
5
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Guide to Using this Booklet and Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Basics of Service Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Danger Zones of Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Components of an Outreach Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 2: Preparing the Outreach Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Outreach Planning Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sample Outreach Plan Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.a. Service Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Key Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
How to Identify, Work with Key Publics for Your Outreach Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Getting to Know Your Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Type of Public vs. Type of Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Making Contact, Achieving Success with Your Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.b. Service Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Antidote to Infoglut: Simplicity, Repetition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Crafting the Convergence: Service Messages—Your Project’s Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3: Special Audiences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.a. Congressional Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Key Contacts for Congressional Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Dealing with Members of Congress and Their Staffs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cautions on Lobbying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Maximizing Your Effectiveness with Elected Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Steps to Establish Congressional Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.b. News Media Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Key Contacts for News Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Press Query Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Your Local Office Policy for Press Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Characteristics of Key News Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Do’s and Don’ts for Interviews with News Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
How to Build and Maintain Good Media Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Pitching Stories to the Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Writing a Press Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Correcting Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.c. Membership in Professional and Community Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Director’s Memorandum: Membership and Participation in Professional Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Director’s Order No. 95: Membership in Community Organizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Table of Contents
7
Chapter 4: Special Outreach Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.a. Environmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Environmental Education—Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Guidelines for Environmental Education in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Guiding Principles for Environmental Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Outcomes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Community-Based Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Do’s and Don’ts for Successful Environmental Education Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Key Contacts for Environmental Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.b. The Internet/Intranet and Listservers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Name/Number of Regional Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Advantages of Internet in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Disadvantages of Internet in Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Listservers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.c. Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Partnerships—Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Advantages of Partnerships to Service Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Partnership Assessment Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Do’s and Don’ts of Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Appendices
A-1 Approvals
Guidance and Forms for outreach-related activities which require approval
A-1 a. Approval form for Publications (DI-550)
A-1 b. Approval form for Audio-Visual Production (DI-551)
A-1 c. Approval for Special Events of National Significance (042 FW 1.1.6.A)
A-2 National Outreach Strategy
A-3 Planning Models
A-3 a. Director’s Memorandum, “Outreach Planning for Significant Decisions”
A-3 b. Region 1 10-Step Model Process (“Field Guide to Outreach”)
A-3 c. Region 5 7-Step Model Process (“Region 5 Outreach Workbook”)
A-3 d. Region 7 7-Step Model Process (��Region 7 Outreach Checklist”)
A-4 Congressional Relations
A-4 a. Reminder and Final Guidelines When Meeting with Members of Congress
Director’s Memorandum, April 1, 1999
A-4 b. Congressional Meetings
Memorandum from Assistant Director,
External Affairs, February 23, 1998
8
Table of Contents
A-4 c. “Contacts with Members of Congress and Staff ”
Director’s Memorandum, November 12, 1997
A-4 d. Congressional Activity Report (Form)
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 e. Committees and Sub Committees of interest to the Service
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 f. Congressional Information Resources
From R-5 “Plan for Congressional Relations”
A-4 g. “Congressional Lobbying,”
Director’s Memorandum, July 26, 2000
A-5 Media Relations
A-5 a. “Letters to the Editor,” by David Klinger
A-5 b. Letters to the Editor, Op-Ed Piece
From IMPACT Notebook, pp 5-10,11,12
A-6 Partnerships
A-6 a. Conservation Partnerships, A Field Guide to Public-Private Partnering
for Natural Resource Conservation
A-7 How-To: Special Events
A-7 a. Manual Chapter 042 FW 1 Dedications and Special Events
A-7 b. Handbook for Dedications and Other Special Events
A-7 c. Special Events From R-1 Field Guide to Outreach
A-8 How To: Public Meetings
A-8 a. The Public Meeting Survival Guide, From R-1 and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
A-9 How To: Presentations
A-9 a. Presentations, From R-1 Field Guide to Outreach
A-10 How To: Outreach Tools
A-10 a.Identify Outreach Tools—Using the Instruments of the Trade
From R-5 One Step at a Time: An Outreach Workbook, Step 5
A-10 b.Outreach Tools—A Suggested List
From R-5 One Step at a Time: An Outreach Workbook, Appendix 4
Glossary of Outreach Terms
9
Table of Contents
Definition of Outreach:
Outreach is two-way
communication between the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the public to establish
mutual understanding, promote
involvement, and influence
attitudes and actions, with the goal
of improving joint stewardship of
our natural resources. (From the
National Outreach Strategy)
The Basics of Service
Outreach
“It’s About Building Trust”
The fundamental purpose of Service
outreach is to build understanding
and trust in the Service by helping
members of various publics
understand who we are, what we do,
and why we do it. The National
Outreach Strategy (See Appendix
A-2) describes a Service-wide
approach that brings consistency to
outreach efforts by specifying
unified messages and a unified
approach for delivering those
messages. All Service outreach—
including yours—gains synergy
through consistency. Your effective
outreach conducted in harmony with
other Service outreach at local,
regional, and national levels will
resonate in audiences, build on
familiar themes, and form a much
stronger impression than outreach
conducted independently.
The Danger Zones of
Outreach
How to do great outreach and stay
out of trouble!
Outreach can be a powerful tool to
help the Service carry out its
mission. However, those involved in
Outreach must insure that it is
carried out in accordance with the
guidance, regulations, and laws. Be
sure to familiarize yourself with
possible restrictions in these areas:
1. Lobbying.
Do not engage, discuss or relay any
information that deals with pending
federal legislation or appropriation
without coordinating closely with
your Congressional Liaison.
(See Chapter 3.a., Appendix A-4)
2. Copyright.
Do not use information materials
taken or copied from private or
commercial sources. This applies to
photographs, film, and videotape
productions, as well as publications.
In some cases, permission may be
granted, but find out how to obtain
permission before you use
copyrighted material.
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs, or the Departmental Office
of the Solicitor)
3. Libel, Slander.
Do not publicly criticize individuals,
organizations, or businesses. Stick to
the Service’s key messages, and you
won’t have any problems here.
4. Accessibility for Citizens with
Disabilities.
When planning for any outreach or
information program, including
exhibits and special events,
remember to take into consideration
citizens with various disabilities.
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for Human
Resources)
5. Surveys.
Surveys are an excellent way to
obtain information about the public,
but formal surveys of the public
may not be conducted without
obtaining approval from the Office
of Management and Budget.
Outreach may draw upon results of
surveys already independently
conducted by others. (See Chapter 3)
(Consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs)
6. Approvals.
Remember that many Outreach
products and activities require
either written approvals from, or
coordination with, specific offices.
Examples include:
a. Publications. In addition to being
approved in advance, publications
should conform to Service
Graphic Standards.
b. Audio-visual productions.
c. Exhibits.
d. New web pages. (Updating
information already posted does
not require approval)
e. Special events that involve high
level officials, or those that focus
on highly visible (or controversial)
issues.
f. Advertising. Use of appropriated
funds for commercial advertising
(unless specifically authorized) is
prohibited.
Plan your outreach early to find out
about and obtain needed approvals.
For details on required approvals,
see relevant chapters, Appendix A-1,
or consult with your Assistant
Regional Director for External
Affairs.
Chapter 1: Introduction
11
Components of an
Outreach Plan
Outreach gains synergy through
consistency
Just like most other endeavors,
effective outreach benefits must be
well planned. This handbook
provides guidance on how to prepare
a plan to make your outreach more
effective and consistent with other
Service outreach. At any given point
in your outreach activity, check to be
sure that your outreach plan and
efforts follow these guidelines:
I. Goals of Service Outreach.
When it is effectively carried out,
Service outreach will:
■ Make it easier for employees to
carry out their natural resource
management responsibilities.
■ Improve support for the agency’s
mission.
■ Build new partnerships
■ Improve service to the public
■ Strengthen the credibility and
stature of the Service.
Test: What are the goals of the
project or program you are
conducting? How do they
correspond with and reinforce
Service outreach goals?
Key Point: Outreach for your project
should support the goals of your
project or program specifically, while
reinforcing the national goals
generally. In other words, the
communication goal of your outreach
should be to focus attention on the
outcome of the Service management
activity, and not just the process of
the management activity.
(See “National Outreach Strategy,”
Appendix A-2)
II. Service Publics.
Outreach efforts should consider
establishing communication with all
potentially interested publics,
always with an emphasis on reaching
the decision-makers and opinion
leaders of each group. Specific “key”
publics you should consider
including are groups or individuals
who have commented on previous
Service actions.
Test: Do your outreach efforts
include each of those groups that
could be most affected by, or
interested in your project or
program?
Key Point: Effective outreach must
target specific, key publics, and
should consider including those with
a record of interest in Service issues.
Recurring outreach with the same
publics builds Service identity and
trust.
(See Chapter 2.a. “Service Publics,”
and Chapter 3 “Special Audiences”)
III. Service Messages.
For members of disparate publics to
understand and remember them, our
messages should be kept simple and
be repeated. These messages help
explain how our work relates to the
public’s areas of greatest concern.
All Service programs and activities
can be explained using one or more
of the following messages:
■ The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is a Federal agency whose
mission, working with others, is to
conserve fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats.
■ The Service helps protect a
healthy environment for people,
fish and wildlife.
■ The Service helps Americans
conserve and enjoy the outdoors.
Test: Are ALL of our outreach
efforts conveying and reinforcing
these messages?
Key Point: In order to get through,
messages must be simple and
repeated, using the same language.
(See Chapter 2.b., “Messages”)
IV. Evaluation.
Effective outreach that helps the
Service can be documented, and can
be quantified in two ways:
Products—Products are what you
produce and distribute to support
your outreach to deliver your
message. Measure them by keeping
a detailed list of what products you
produce, how many, and
documenting when and where they
are used.
Results—Results should be
determined by obtaining feedback
from the targeted publics to
determine whether they are getting
the outreach message, and if
applicable, changing behavior or
attitudes because of the outreach.
The evaluation phase of outreach
planning should include a process for
obtaining this feedback.
Test: Does the outreach being
conducted include a mechanism for
obtaining feedback?
Key Point: Use feedback to find out
whether the targeted publics are
getting the message. The process of
seeking feedback helps build buy-in
and trust.
(See Appendix A-3 for suggestions
on how to evaluate outreach)
12
Why Use the Outreach Plan?
The outreach planning model in this
handbook closely resembles or
corresponds with the models
currently being used by the most
successful organizations in the
world, including the major national
and international public relations
firms. They use it because it
works—not just to look good, but to
help accomplish their organizational
goals.
■ Outreach planning is a
management tool. It requires
involvement and buy in of
managers whose continuing
support is required to make it
happen.
■ Outreach planning helps set
priorities, and ultimately saves
time, money, and the resource.
■ Outreach Plans are now required
for all the Service’s “significant
decisions.” Such decisions can
include, but are not limited to:
Endangered Species Act listings,
high-profile recovery plans,
species reintroductions, land
acquisitions, migratory bird or
predator control actions, public
access to outdoor recreation,
contaminant issues with human
health concerns, major Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
settlements, major scientific
findings on the status of a species
or an ecosystem, or actions
involving large expenditures of
funds. (See Appendix A-3.a.)
Guidance from several Regions, the
National Outreach Strategy, and the
Director’s Memorandum “Outreach
Plans for Significant Decisions” each
have excellent directions on how to
prepare comprehensive, effective
outreach plans. The Region 1
Outreach Handbook describes a
process for building a
“Communications Platform” as a
“blueprint for action.” Region 5
takes a similar step-by-step
approach with its “Outreach
Workbook,” and the Region 7
Outreach Report features an
“Outreach Checklist Worksheet.”
The Region 4 Communications
Model defines five “channels” of
communication in outreach efforts.
Each of these models emphasizes a
comprehensive, collaborative
approach to outreach. They each lay
out a process to produce an effective,
economic, and accountable plan of
outreach activities bound by unity of
purpose and message. Though
individual steps differ slightly
between models, the end result is
the same: A focused effort conducted
throughout the life of a program or
project to generate understanding,
trust, and support from a variety of
groups. This support will have a
direct bearing on the Service’s
ability to successfully accomplish its
projects or activities.
Planning is accomplished best by a
small group of people that may
include project leaders, subject
matter experts, and sometimes even
partner organizations. A facilitator
skilled in outreach planning should
lead the group through the process.
The model in this chapter is taken
from the one provided in the
National Outreach Strategy
(Appendix 2). Since each Service
issue that requires an outreach plan
is new and different, planners are
encouraged to adopt elements from
other outreach models as needed.
Sample forms and references to
other guidance with helpful tips are
also included in this section and in
appendices.
Outreach Planning Model
The main purpose for an outreach
plan is to insure that the efforts you
put into outreach really do help
achieve the Service’s resource
management objectives. A good
outreach plan should be brief and to
the point. The following Outreach
Planning Model identifies the eight
basic components which should be
included in each outreach plan:
Assessment:
■ State the problem, issue or
situation, and why action is
necessary in one or two clear,
concise sentences. The statement
should be simple and direct to
keep everyone focused.
■ Identify those who may be
affected by the problem, issue or
situation.
■ Briefly describe how the current
problem, issue or situation affects
fish and wildlife resources, and
specifically the Service’s ability to
accomplish its objectives in
resource management.
Audiences(s):
■ Which publics (individuals or
groups) can we reach who will
have the most influence on the
outcome of the issue?
■ What are the concerns,
expectations, perceptions and
biases of each of these publics?
■ Describe each target audience in
one concise sentence.
■ List the key “Internal Publics”:
Service and Department Officials
who should be informed of the
issue or situation BEFORE you
begin the outreach.
■ List all Congressional delegation
officials, and other Federal, state,
county or city officials who need
to be contacted about the issue.
Chapter 2: Preparing the Outreach Plan
13
■ List local, regional, and (if
appropriate) national level news
media who may be likely to cover
the issue.
■ List specific constituent and
interest groups who may become
involved and should be contacted
(See Chapters 2.a., 3).
Goal:
■ What is the desired outcome of
the issue or situation?
■ What do we want members of the
identified publics to think, feel, or
do (or not do), as a result of the
outreach on the issue?
■ State the outreach goal in one
clear concise sentence.
Message:
■ What do we want our audiences to
know or understand?
■ How can we use the Service’s
three basic messages to explain
why this issue is important to
people as well as to wildlife?
■ State the main message in one
clear concise sentence
Tools:
■ What outreach tools are most
appropriate to achieving our goal?
■ Which tools are most appropriate
to convey the message to each
audience?
■ List each tool to be used in the
entire outreach effort.
Schedule:
■ Are there specific dates (such as
publication of a Federal Register
Notice, or other deadlines) that
this issue or situation is tied to?
■ List the specific outreach
activities needed for this issue
(for example, briefings of officials,
public meetings, press releases
and press conferences,
development and distribution of
mailings or posters, etc.).
■ Develop a schedule or time line
that shows when each of these
activities must occur.
Implementation:
■ What personnel, funds, and
supplies are needed to implement
this outreach effort?
■ What internal and external
partners can be involved in the
outreach effort?
■ What resources will we provide,
and what resources will partners
provide?
■ List a budget for the entire
outreach effort.
Reality Check:
■ Does every item listed in your
Outreach Plan contribute to
achieving the resource
management goal? Can any item
be improved upon?
■ Identify a method that will be
used to evaluate the effectiveness
of each step in the schedule after
it has been carried out. Be
prepared to use the evaluation to
revise the plan accordingly.
You are now ready to carry out
effective outreach in support of the
Service’s resource-management
goals and objectives!
(For detailed guidance and
suggestions on how to carry out each
of these steps, see Appendix A-3.)
14
Sample Outreach Plan Format
This sample format (which is included in the National Outreach Strategy) should be used for documents
requiring outreach plans. This format may be adapted or modified as needed, as long as the information
covered here is included.
15
Title
(Outreach Plan for the _______________ )
Issue:
(State issue in one or two sentences.)
Basic Facts about the Issue:
(In bullets or short paragraphs, outline basic facts about the action and why it is needed.)
Communication Goals:
(In a few bullets, state what you want to see as the outcome of your communications effort. If appropriate,
address how the action will affect people and include what the Service will do to address public concerns.)
Message:
(In one short sentence, state why this issue is important to people and wildlife. Whenever possible, say how the
action contributes to a healthy, clean environment; to outdoor recreation; or to preservation of important
American heritage and traditions.)
Interested Parties:
(Identify groups/individuals who will be most affected or are otherwise interested in this action)
Key Date:
(If there is a specific date the action is tied to, such as a court action or Federal Register publication, fill it in.)
Strategy:
(Explain your strategy for communicating this information. For example, do you plan to hold a press conference,
accompanied by in-person briefings for concerned groups? Can the information be communicated simply by
news release, or perhaps only phone calls to key people are required?)
Action Plan:
■ (Under “Interested Party,” list who needs to be contacted. Include Members of Congress or their staffs;
State and local officials; news reporters; business/agricultural leaders; and constituent groups. Include
groups who disagree as well as those who support the action.)
■ (Under “Method of Contact,” indicate whether the person will be contacted by phone, personal meeting,
briefing, etc.)
■ (Under “Person Responsible,” indicate what FWS employee or cooperator will make the contact.)
■ (Under “Phone/Fax,” list appropriate numbers so you will have them handy.)
■ (Under “Date,” list date when contact is to be made.)
Action Plan
Interested Party Method of Contact Person Responsible Phone/Fax Date
The National Conservation Training Center offers training on this subject and all phases of outreach,
both at the Center and in local areas. For information, check their website (www.fws.gov/r9nctc/nctc.html) or
call 304-876-7200
Summary: Why should the Service
focus its outreach efforts on various,
specific publics? For one thing,
America has always drawn its
strength from its diversity of ideas.
Because of this diversity, there is no
single public, but rather a great
many separate publics that are
determined by each specific issue at
hand. The bottom line is that many
different publics can have a
significant bearing on how or
whether the Service accomplishes its
mission. The primary advantages of
identifying specific publics are:
1. The more narrowly defined the
target public is, the easier it is to
determine HOW to communicate
with them, and the more effective
the outreach effort will be.
2. Preparing a check list in advance
of key publics helps to ensure that
outreach planning does not
inadvertently overlook a group
that could have a stake in a
Service program or project.
Key Publics
Various Service outreach teams,
such as the Refuges Outreach Team,
and Regional Outreach Teams, have
identified key publics as a checklist
for their outreach activities. Below
are these categories of publics and
some of the reasons why they are
important to include in outreach:
Congress—Delegation and
staff members.
Why? All of the Service publics are
constituents of Congress. Good
communication with Congress is
essential for a federal agency to be
effective and responsive to the
American public.
Conservation Groups.
Why? They have great interest in
resource management, and their
support or lack of it influences other
publics
Corporations—The businesses
community, large and small.
Why? They often communicate
economic impacts of resource
management decisions, good or bad;
can influence Congress; can be a
source of funding or moral support
through partnerships.
Communities.
Why? They can be directly impacted
by Service activities; can directly
impact fish and wildlife resources;
can influence Congress.
Communications (NewsMedia, etc.)
Why? They can directly influence
virtually all other publics.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(“in-reach”)
Why? They are essential for internal
support and to help communicate
messages.
Other Federal Agencies
Why? Their objections can block
Service activities; support enhances
Service credibility, gives momentum
to Service initiatives.
State and Local Government
Why? Their objections can erode
other publics’ confidence or directly
block Service activities. Their
support can enhance a project’s
likelihood of success.
Educational Institutions/Programs
Why? Students adopt long-term
values regarding environmental
stewardship. Student and faculty
opinions can either enhance or erode
Service credibility.
Special interest groups.
Why? They represent and
communicate directly with many
specialized publics; can influence
other publics, including Congress.
Native Americans
Why? They have direct interests in
fish and wildlife resources through
their subsistence, traditions and
spirituality; unique organizational
status and relationship with Federal
government; control of large areas
of land.
Resource users
Why? These groups are well defined
by their common interests (hunters,
birders, anglers, etc.) and often are
directly affected by Service activities
and decisions. They can have direct
impact on resources; can gain
sympathy from or exert influence on
otherwise unaffected publics,
including Congress.
Other publics?
As you plan outreach for each
program or project, do not hesitate
to “think outside the box” when
identifying important publics. Each
new situation is different, and
communities and cultures are
forever evolving. Watch for
opportunities to reach out to new
interest groups and non-traditional
publics who could support the
Service mission.
How to Identify, Work with
Key Publics for Your
Outreach Plan
Warning: Do NOT try this Alone!
■ Determine your key publics for
your outreach plan:
a. Use a group of co-workers
involved in your project to help.
Most of the publics will be
obvious, but those not considered
adequately often cause the most
problems. Your group dynamic
will help identify key publics.
b. Then, go outside of the Service to
ask partners who should be
included.
c. Do not overlook friends—
partners, employees. They can
help communicate to other
publics, and may feel betrayed by
Chapter 2.a.: Service Publics
The more narrowly defined the specific public is, the easier it is
to determine HOW to communicate with them.
16
not getting the word on important
issues. Do not risk losing their
support!
d. Prioritize your publics, so that
you can place your resources
where they will do the most good.
Before you finalize your list,
consider the resources available
to do your outreach, and keep it
realistic.
e. Remember to always include the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—
your chain of command and
fellow employees—as a key
public. Since they, too, are the
Service, it helps them all to know
what the Service is saying to
everyone else!
■ Learn about your publics. Once
you select each public, determine
what they know about the issue:
a. What are their positions on the
issue?
b. What is the best way to
communicate with them?
How do you answer these questions?
A formal survey would help, but you
do not need a complicated,
scientifically precise survey to get a
good idea:
a. Ask their leaders;
b. Or, establish and ask one or more
“key informants,” individual
contacts you know and trust who
are members of the particular
public. Ask your contact to take
the pulse of their group and tell
you frankly what they think;
c. Or, as a minimum, informally ask
several random members (2-6) of
these publics.
Communicate with these contacts
before, during and after your
outreach efforts. Record the
feedback for your evaluation!
Two excellent processes for
identifying and analyzing outreach
audiences have been developed by
Region 1 and Region 5. See
Appendix A-3
Getting to Know
Your Publics:
What Do Americans
Think about Government and
Environmental Issues?
When communicating the Service
messages, it helps to know
something about attitudes of the
American public in general to
anticipate how messages will be
received. The following research,
taken from national surveys in
recent years, may be helpful in
crafting your outreach messages.
According to a December 1998
survey of adult Americans
conducted by Roper Starch
Worldwide for the National
Environmental Education and
Training Foundation (NEETF):
■ More than 60 percent believe the
economy and environment can go
hand in hand.
■ If they had to choose, 70 percent
would choose environment over
economy.
■ Less than 20 percent believe
regulation has gone too far.
■ More than 45 percent believe
regulation has not gone far
enough.
Among the study’s conclusions:
■ Americans are concerned about
the environment and generally
want the government to be
actively involved in its protection.
■ What may be especially alarming
is the widespread and persistent
nature of the misinformation
among most demographic
subgroups. (56% of Americans
believe that six-pack rings are the
main cause of fish and wildlife
entanglement. However, the main
cause is abandoned fishing line
left by anglers, a fact known by
only 10%)
■ There is a need to provide
environmental information in a
form that the American public can
more easily remember and
internalize.
■ The responsibility for moving in
the direction of greater
information and understanding
rests with public agencies, non-governmental
organizations, the
environmental community, and
the media.
An April 1996 Survey by Beldon and
Russonello Research, conducted for
the Consultative Group on Biological
Diversity, reported that Americans
support environmental protections
for the following reasons:
■ Wanting one’s family to live in a
healthy, pleasing environment
(79%).
■ Responsibility to leave the earth
in good shape for future
generations (71%).
■ Appreciation for beauty of nature
(63%).
■ Belief that “all life found in nature
has a right to exist” (55%).
What should the Service’s role in
environmental issues be?
Do Americans hate the federal
government? Are they receptive to
federal agencies taking an active
role in public matters? A June 1998
national survey by the Pew Center
for the People and the Press asked
whether Americans wanted an
“active Federal government.”
According to the survey results:
■ Only 28% of federal employees
believe that Americans are “pro-government.”
■ 33% of members of Congress
believe that Americans are “pro-government.”
But in reality, the survey found:
■ 57% of Americans say they are
“pro-government.”
Other Useful Survey Results
Survey results from various sources
are also available, including
“Wildlife and the American Mind:
Public Opinion and Attitudes toward
Fish and Wildlife Management,”
1998, by Mark D. Duda, et al.,
Responsive Management National
Office, Harrisonburg, VA 22801
(www.responsivemanagement.com)
17
Type of Public vs. Type of
Communication
The individual characteristics of
each public help determine the best
strategies for communicating with
that public.
Examples:
■ Most special and public interest
groups (environmental groups,
outdoor recreation groups, etc.)
have internal newsletters whose
editors may use written
materials; they often have regular
membership meetings where oral
presentations may be made.
■ Congressional members and their
staffs get most information from
personal briefings, succinct
briefing statements, formal
reports, Federal Register, etc.
■ Businesses and industry leaders
get information from trade
journals and other specialized
media.
■ Students get information through
school lesson plans from teachers,
and from specialized classroom
publications, like “Weekly
Reader,” “Scholastic,” and
“Science World.”
As you consider each organized
public, make a point to find out how
that organization communicates with
its members and use their media. If
it is an unorganized public, try to
determine specific media that its
members use to get information
about the interests that unite them.
The News Media are a special case,
in that they are both a public and a
strategy to get information to other
publics.
■ As a public, members of the news
media get their information
through:
a. Personal contact (phone calls,
visits)
b. Press releases (by fax, mail, hand
carried, etc.)
c. Internet web sites and e-mail.
(Note: According to a 1999 survey by
Global Financial Communication
Network, 60% of reporters prefer
news releases to be sent by FAX
instead of e-mail. Ask your reporters
their preferences!)
■ As a strategy, news media help to
provide information to virtually
all other publics, but remember:
a. News media are good for raising
awareness about an issue among
many publics.
b. News media are not good for
conveying complex information on
a controversial issue.
(See Chapter 3.b., “Media
Relations”)
Making Contact, Achieving
Success with Your Publics
Make it Personal!
For every public, gaining trust and
support begins with building
relationships and establishing
credibility. In a comprehensive
outreach plan, many methods are
used to help raise awareness, allay
fears and generate involvement. But
when it comes to gaining trust and
effective support, in the end there is
no substitute for personal
relationships with the decision-makers
and opinion leaders for each
specific public.
When public issues become
controversial and generate conflict
between opposing groups (including
the Service), public relations
professionals (e.g., Jackson, Jackson
& Wagner) have crafted effective
communications based on the
following theory of public opinion
and conflict resolution:
1. Whatever one side says, the other
side has data that refute it. Facts
seem to matter less and less and
truth becomes irrelevant in the
public debate. Solid, simple
information must be boldly
presented in a way that grabs
attention. Even then, skepticism
reigns. Information from mass
media tends to reinforce old
opinions rather than stimulate
new opinions.
2. In an atmosphere of conflict,
people form opinions based on
hearsay. Interpersonal, word-of-mouth,
face-to-face programs are
vital because credibility shifts
from the information carried by
mass media to the information
carried by individuals whom
people trust.
3. Communications that focus on the
solution, not the problem, gain
more attention and support.
Emphasis shifts from the
conflicting data to solving the
problem.
4. Success depends on existing
relationships with opinion leaders
and decision-makers. Even if they
do not have a direct stake in the
outcome, these individuals
become trusted, third-party
advocates for “the solution,” and
generate support from those
publics they represent.
Many Service leaders and
individuals have learned that they
can, and must, build those
relationships in person. They make
frequent personal visits with
organizational opinion leaders and
decision-makers and give
presentations to local organizations.
When they become personally
involved with organizations and
community activities, members of
various publics can get to know and
trust them as individuals and
members of the community—not
just “the feds.” They are seen as
qualified and dedicated professionals
who are capable of making resource
management decisions in the best
interests of the community they live
in themselves.
18
Summary: In order to build trust and
support among its many publics
across the nation, the Service must
not only perform its mission well,
but also gain recognition from those
publics. This process begins by
insuring that all those publics
understand first of all who we are,
what we do, and why we do it. The
Service’s basic messages will help
Americans gain this understanding.
Antidote to Infoglut:
Simplicity, Repetition
Why should all Service outreach
use the same messages? Thanks in
part to advances in information
technology, Americans today are
bombarded by information in a
non-stop process that has been
called “infoglut.” Like the Service,
thousands of other organizations
compete for Americans’ attention.
Big businesses spend billions of
dollars globally simply to gain and
retain name recognition, because
they know that in order for the
public to trust their brand name, the
public must first recognize their
brand name. In this highly
competitive atmosphere, the only
messages to get through are those
that are simple and repeated.
By repeating the same messages in
all its activities, Service Outreach
gains synergy through consistency.
All Service programs and activities
can be explained using one or more
of the following messages:
1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is a Federal agency whose
mission, working with others, is to
conserve fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats.
2. The Service helps protect a
healthy environment for people,
fish and wildlife.
3. The Service helps Americans
conserve and enjoy the outdoors.
Crafting the Convergence:
Service Messages—Your
Project’s Messages
Warning: Do NOT try this Alone!
During your outreach planning
phase, use your best creative
abilities, along with those of your co-workers
and partners, to craft the
message which best captures the
Service messages AND those of the
immediate project or activity at
hand. As you refine your messages,
keep these points in mind:
■ Repetition: The more closely the
message captures the meanings
of the Service’s basic messages,
the more synergy it will have with
other Service outreach activities.
■ Simplicity: Can your messages be
conveyed in one or two “sound
bites”? Can it easily be
incorporated into a presentation,
a fact sheet, a public service
announcement (PSA), or an
exhibit?
Be sure to TEST your message
statements on a sample of people
from target publics to ensure that
the messages can be easily
understood.
For more ideas and tips on crafting
your outreach messages, see
Appendix A-3
Chapter 2.b.: Service Messages
19
Summary: As one of the Service’s
most important audiences, members
of Congress and their staffs require
specialized procedures for
communicating important issues
effectively. The term “Congress”
encompasses members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and the
U.S. Senate, and members of their
staffs, both in Washington D.C. and
in their home states or districts. As
an important Service public, all
Service outreach should consider
including Congress in the
communications process.
Chapter 3: Special Audiences
Chapter 3.a.: Congressional Relations
20
Key Contacts for Congressional Relations:
Regional Congressional Liaison: ____________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: _______________________________________________________
U.S. Senator (Senior): ______________________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Addresses (Local/D.C.) ___________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
U.S. Senator (Junior): ______________________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: (Local/D.C.) ____________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
District Representative to U.S. House: ________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: (Local/D.C.) ____________________________________________
Key Staff members, D.C.:
Key Staff members, local:
Dealing with Members of
Congress and Their Staffs:
Be Proactive, but Be Prudent!
In the past, the Service’s
Congressional Relations activities
tended to be very issue-specific,
often with the Service reacting to
direct questions from members of
Congress or their staffs. In
November 1997, the Director issued
a memo to encourage Service
employees to take a more proactive
approach to congressional relations
by initiating contacts with
congressional Members and staff.
To make the most of these contacts,
they should be carefully planned
following the principles and
procedures of outreach applicable to
other Service audiences.
1. The Goals of outreach to
Congress remain the same as the
goals for all other outreach: To
build understanding and trust in
the Service by strengthening its
stature and credibility, ultimately
resulting in benefits to the natural
resources under Service
stewardship.
2. The Basic Service Messages
remain the same for outreach to
Congress as for all other
outreach. Be sure to reinforce the
Service’s basic messages as you
provide information on specific
issues of interest.
3. Advise your Regional
Congressional Liaison of ALL
contacts you initiate or receive
from Members of Congress or
their staff. Your liaison can offer
assistance and advise you of other
issues of sensitivity you should
understand prior to your contact.
Note: Prior to initiating contacts
with Members or their staffs, be sure
you are familiar with Regional
policies for Congressional
Relations. Contact your Regional
Congressional Liaison for details.
Cautions on Lobbying
In all communications activities
involving Congress, be sure you
understand the federal laws that
prohibit federal employees from
“lobbying”:
■ 18 U.S.C. Section 1913 prohibits
the use of appropriated funds for
activities that directly or
indirectly are “intended or
designed to influence in any
manner a Member of Congress, to
favor or oppose” any legislation or
appropriation by Congress.
■ Recent Interior Appropriations
Acts prohibit the use of
appropriated funds for “any
activity or the publication or
distribution of literature that in
any way tends to promote public
support or opposition to any
legislative proposal on which
congressional action is not
complete.”
In one recent case, a Service
employee was invited by a non-governmental
organization to speak
at a press conference called to
generate opposition to pending
legislation. It was determined that
remarks the employee made at the
press conference “tended to promote
public opposition to the legislative
proposal and hence violated the
restriction.”
Contact your Regional
Congressional Liaison (or, if at
Headquarters, the Office of
Congressional and Legislative
Affairs) for guidance if you have any
doubts as to the applicability of
these prohibitions on an action or
activity you are considering.
See Appendix A-4 for detailed
guidance and additional
information on lobbying.
Maximizing your
Effectiveness with
Elected Officials
While there are many ways to
communicate with elected officials
and their staff, meeting face-to-face
provides an extremely effective way
to convey information. Meetings
should first be scheduled with local
district office staff to introduce
yourself and discuss your
responsibilities within the Fish and
Wildlife Service. Refuge or field
station visits provide an ideal setting
for such meetings. Many staff look
forward to getting out of their offices
and away from phones, e-mail, and
interruptions as much as we do. Give
them the opportunity!!!! Before you
do schedule a meeting, be prepared.
Identify the message you want the
staffer, Representative or Senator
to take home. Begin with the end
in mind. If they’re asking for a
meeting, do your homework.
Research the issue and go prepared.
The following steps can provide
guidance in preparing for a
Congressional visit.
SETTING UP A MEETING
Plan Ahead
Whether you want to meet with a
staff person or the Congressman,
you will need an advance
appointment. Phone or write well
ahead of time, particularly if you
want to meet with the Congressman.
The District office staff generally
schedule the Congressman’s time
while he is in the District, and a
scheduler or appointments secretary
while they are in Washington. Due to
the press of time, the Congressman
may not be able to see you even if
you request a meeting with them
rather than staff. Do not express
any disappointment if this occurs; if
you have a message to communicate,
it should go to whomever they
designate to meet with you. If you
have already established regular
contact with the staff, it will be much
easier for you to get a meeting with
the Congressman.
21
Determine whether the meeting
should be in the District or in
Washington. Generally, you will have
a much better chance of meeting
with the Congressman, and of
spending more time with them, when
they are in the District, while in DC
you are more likely to get a short
meeting with the staff. The Regional
Congressional Liaison can be very
helpful in deciding where to hold the
meeting. Any meeting you hold with
a Congressman or staff in
Washington MUST be reported to
the Regional Congressional Liaison
person, no later than Thursday of
the preceding week, for coordination
purposes.
Create an Agenda
Know what you want to discuss.
If appropriate, provide an agenda
with room to write notes. This can
prompt questions from the staffer or
Congressman.
Keep the Meeting Short and with the
Proper Level of Scientific Detail
If you are meeting with the
Congressman or staff at their office,
either Washington or DC, indicate
how much time you will need when
you request the appointment.
Generally, you should ask for 15 or
30 minutes—less than 15 minutes
indicates the issue is not substantial
enough for them to hear you (unless
it is a “courtesy/just stop by to say
hello” visit, in which case indicate
this), and more than 30 minutes is
probably more time than they have
for any one issue. If, on the other
hand, you have the opportunity to
have the staff or Congressman tour
your facility the meeting will
obviously be longer. Don’t show
more examples of the same issues in
different area of a refuge.
IMPORTANT: Start at the most
basic level. Some staff may know all
of the jargon from the Endangered
Species Act. Most do not.
Know your Representative and
Senators
Remember that the Representative
and/or Senator represents all of
their constituents. That doesn’t
mean they agree with all of the
constituents. Learn the political
background of the elected officials.
Read the newspapers to understand
where the Representative or
Senator is coming from. Your
Regional External Affairs Office
through its Legislative Liaison, can
help you with this task.
Do your Homework
Legislators work on many complex
issues and cannot be expected to be
experts in all of them. Again
remember to start you discussions at
a basic level.
CONDUCTING THE MEETING
Start off on the Right Foot
BE ON TIME. Thank the
Representative or Senator for
taking the time from their busy
schedule to meet with you. Offer the
agenda, if appropriate. Note: if the
meeting consists of touring a facility,
have refreshments available. If
you are away from any place to
have a lunch, provide sandwiches,
drinks, etc. DO NOT USE
APPROPRIATED FUNDS TO
PURCHASE REFRESHMENTS.
Keep it Simple, Concise and Brief
Don’t get bogged down with details
and jargon. Localize the issue by
providing information on which
constituents support your facility or
action and why. Give names of those
who support actions.
Maintain your Credibility
Never speculate, generalize, or
guess. If you are unsure of an
answer to a legislator’s question, it is
appropriate to say, “I don’t know.”
Offer to follow up with a response.
Credibility is the currency of an
effective relationship.
Address Opposition
If you are contemplating an action
that will have a negative effect on
some constituents, be aware of who
those constituents are and what
their concerns are. Develop answers
to those concerns before the meeting
and briefly share both the
anticipated concerns and your
answers with the Congressman or
staff. You will lose considerable
credibility if you do not alert them to
possible adverse public reactions to
what you are discussing.
Provide Resources and Leave
Summary Information
Before you, the elected official, or
their staff leave, make sure all of the
concerns of the elected official have
been answered (or gotten back with).
Leave a ONE page briefing
statement reiterating the highlights
of the purpose of the meeting.
FOLLOW UP ON THE MEETING
Maintain the Relationship
It’s much easier to build an existing
relationship than to develop one
during rough times. Add elected
officials and their staff to your
mailing list for relevant reports. Call
at least once every three months
even if it’s just to check in. Invite
them to special events and photo
opportunities at your facility.
Look to the Future and Hold No
Grudges
Be tolerant of differences of opinion.
There will always be another
instance where each of you will need
support in the future. Always show
your appreciation for the legislator’s
or staff ’s willingness to meet with
you.
In sum, plan ahead, know your
issues and who is affected by your
issues, and know your elected
officials. This applies to state, county,
and local officials.
22
Steps to Establish
Congressional
Relationships
■ Identify and establish contact
with members and staffers.
�� Establish and maintain a process
for keeping them informed.
■ Invite them to visit your field
station or office.
■ Look ahead to special occasions.
Invite lawmakers and staff
individually and collectively to
attend and participate.
■ Do not at any point refer to a
staff person as an “aide”. They
have titles, such as “District
Representative” or “Legislative
Assistant”; if that is too
formal refer to “Jane Doe of
Representative Smith’s staff ”.
When Briefing Elected Officials:
■ Use concrete examples to make
your point
■ Do not offer your personal
opinion
■ Be concise
■ Be specific and practical
■ Offer to help
■ Leave a summary sheet
How to Maintain Contact:
■ Phone calls
■ Letters and Faxes
■ Forward information on a regular
basis
■ Forward photos and news
clippings of news events
■ Repeat PERSONAL contacts
with lawmakers and staff
■ Ask the lawmakers and staff for
their assistance!
■ Highlight your lawmaker’s
assistance. Do NOT mention
staff in press releases or other
communications intended to reach
the public; credit the lawmaker
even if the staff did all the work.
You should, however, thank the
staff person privately, and consider
other steps if appropriate, such as
asking your ARD or Regional
Director to write a “thank you”
note to the staffer.
For more information and hints on
Congressional Relations, See
Appendix A-4
All persons who interact with
Congressional Members or their
staffs are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
23
Summary: The term “News Media”
encompasses the print medium,
including your local newspapers, and
the broadcast medium, including
your nearest television and radio
stations most likely to carry news
about your activity. The news media
are the most economical way to raise
awareness of an issue with the most
people.
News Media are in Business
News is a commodity:
■ To be valuable, information must
be accurate. Inaccurate
information is worthless, and
ultimately harmful to the
business.
■ To be valuable, information must
be current. If it’s old, it isn’t
news.
■ To be a dependable source of
information to the public, most
news organizations operate on
regularly scheduled editions or
broadcasts, and therefore all
work under the constant pressure
of deadlines.
■ The News business generates its
income from advertisers, who are
interested in the size of the
audience—the ratings—the
news operation can generate. The
quest for ratings tends to favor
news coverage that is sensational,
dramatic, conflict-oriented.
News Media and Outreach
The News Media are of particular
importance to outreach activities, in
that they are both a public and a
strategy to get information to other
publics.
■ Public: As one of the Service’s
most important audiences,
members of the news media
require specialized procedures for
communicating important issues
effectively. Each news media
outlet has a decision-maker,
usually an editor or a reporter,
who decides what news will be
carried in each edition or
broadcast. Members of the news
media get their information
through:
a. press releases (by fax, e-mail,
delivery, press conferences/
briefings)
b. personal contact (phone calls,
visits, press conferences/
briefings)
c. Internet web sites, and other
general reference sources.
(Note: According to a 1999 survey by
Global Financial Communication
Network, 60% of reporters prefer
news releases to be sent by FAX.
Ask your reporters their
preferences!)
■ Strategy: The news media is just
one of many strategies to provide
information to the public. It is the
most effective strategy to provide
information to the most people for
the least cost, since virtually
anyone who reads the
newspapers, listens to radio, or
watches television can be reached
through the news media.
However:
a. News media is very good for
raising awareness about an
issue among many publics.
b. News media is not so good for
conveying complex information
on a controversial issue.
For assistance in any news media
activities, be sure to keep in contact
with your Regional Media Relations
Liaison or specified Outreach
Coordinator, located in your
Regional External Affairs Office.
Please fill out the following and keep
the completed form in this handbook
up-to-date for quick reference:
Chapter 3.b.: News Media Relations
24
25
Key Contacts for News Media
Regional Media Relations Liaison: __________________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________
E-mail: ____________________ Address: _______________________________________________________
(Note for reporters below, highlight each one’s preferred method of contact)
Newspaper: ________________________ Addresses ___________________________________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
TV News Station ____________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Radio Station _______________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Radio Station _______________________ Network affiliation? ________ Addresses ________________________
Reporter ______________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Others:
Reporter/Org. __________________ Phone: _____________ Fax: _____________ E-mail: _____________
Duplicate as needed
26
Press Query Sheet
Date of Call/Contact: ___________________-
Reporter’s Name: _______________________________________ Organization: _____________________________
Phone/Fax /e-mail: ________________________________________________________________________________
Questions: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Response: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Query Referred to/Coordinated with: __________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anticipated Publication/Broadcast Date: ______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Follow-up: _______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Local Office Policy for
Press Calls
All staff members should
understand office policy for taking
calls from the news media. The
project leader should set policies for
each office and should identify those
who are capable of and comfortable
with serving as official Service
spokespersons for the office. The
following guidance applies to all
Service press relations:
■ All calls from news reporters
should be taken immediately, or
returned ASAP by someone who
has been designated to serve as
an official Service spokesperson.
■ The spokesperson should comment
on or explain issues within the
scope and responsibility of their
project or activities.
■ The spokesperson DOES NOT
NEED to answer every question.
If asked about Regional or
National level policies or issues,
the spokesperson should politely
refer the reporter to the Regional
or National level media relations
liaison, or the appropriate
External Affairs Office. The
spokesperson should assist to
ensure the reporter makes
contact with the appropriate
Service spokesperson.
■ All issues of high sensitivity or
controversy should be discussed
with Regional External Affairs
Staff prior to making comments
to news media representatives.
Examples of sensitive and
controversial issues include:
—Accidents or incidents
involving fatalities
—Public criticism of Service,
especially from elected officials
—Personnel issues
—Law Enforcement issues
(Specific LE guidance has been
issued in Service Manual at
443 FW 2)
—Legal issues, such as lawsuits,
etc.
—Any management action that
involves killing animals
■ When appropriate during
communications with news media
reporters, the spokesperson
should attempt to convey the
Service’s Basic Messages. (See
Chapter 5).
■ Press calls should be documented
(Try using a Query Sheet—see
this chapter) and a summary of
press interactions should be
reported weekly to the Regional
Media Relations Liaison for
possible inclusion in Regional
Weekly reports to Washington
(Call to check for your regional
policies).
Who in your office is/are designated
to serve as official Service
spokesperson in response to calls
from the press?
________________________________
All persons designated to serve as
official spokespersons are
encouraged to take specialized
training offered by the National
Conservation and Training Center.
Characteristics of
Key News Media
When dealing with reporters from
each of the three news media types,
keep in mind those special
characteristics that will help you
communicate specific types of
information to various publics.
Newspapers:
■ Can report in more detail than
other media.
■ Usually have more departments
or sections, more specialty
reporters for analytical stories.
■ Deadlines are usually daily;
cannot easily get first word on
breaking news.
■ Can take an editorial position; can
include Guest Editorials.
■ Features feedback in form of
letters to editor.
■ Usually will print corrections if
their reports contain errors.
■ Will consider using good quality
photographs, graphs, charts, you
provide.
■ Require least logistics for
reporters to cover stories
(reporter, notebook).
■ Usually only one daily newspaper
per community
■ Become historical record
Television:
■ Emphasizes stories that are
dynamic, sensational, and
emotional.
■ Stories are shorter, less detailed,
less analytical than print media
stories.
■ Can report fast-breaking news
several times per day.
■ Little opportunity for corrections
or feedback.
■ Will often use good quality
videotape you provide.
■ Require most logistics to cover
stories (reporter, photographer,
sound technician, etc.)
■ Usually several competing TV
stations per community
■ Very little difference in formats
between competing TV stations
Radio:
■ Reports in least detail
■ Can report news fastest of all
news media, usually on the hour.
■ Many different formats (talk
radio, all news, music with news,
etc.)
■ Different stations cater to
different audiences
■ Most accessible for public service
announcements.
■ Little opportunity for corrections
or feedback.
■ Requires little logistics (phone
interviews, or reporter with tape
recorder)
■ Usually large number of radio
stations per community
27
Do’s and Don’ts for
Interviews with
News Media
Important Do’s:
■ Think through a basic single
message. Use the opportunity to
get it across.
■ Include the Basic Service
Messages.
■ State important facts first.
■ Repeat the messages in several
ways.
■ Bring the reporter back to YOUR
point.
■ Anticipate problem questions, and
have responses ready for them
all.
■ Offer to put the reporter in touch
with other knowledgeable contact
people.
■ Wear uniform or positive Service
identification.
■ If it is a TV interview, check your
image in a mirror first.
■ Offer to provide follow-up
information
■ Speak in public’s interest, not
agency’s.
■ Give a direct answer to a direct
question.
■ If you don’t know the answer, say,
“I can get you that information.”
■ Always tell the truth.
■ Correct reporters when they
make a mistake. Contact them
immediately.
■ Consult with Regional External
Affairs Office.
Important Don’ts:
■ Don’t let a reporter put words in
your mouth
■ Don’t make any statement that
you don’t want quoted, or speak
“off the record.”
■ Don’t argue or lose your cool
■ Don’t say “No comment,” or
“Because it’s our policy.”
■ Don’t ask to read or see a
reporter’s story prior to
publication
■ Don’t use the news media to
criticize others.
How to Build and Maintain
Good Media Relations
Four Steps to Good
News Media Relations:
Identity—Be sure the reporters
likely to cover Service activities and
issues know who you are. Call them
and introduce yourself. Offer a tour
of your facilities or a briefing on
your activities. Be sure they
understand your expertise and that
of your staff members. Do not wait
for a crisis.
Credibility—Be sure the reporters
know your credentials, your
background and your
responsibilities. They will rely on
you as a “source”—an expert
spokesperson who can provide
information on specific topics. Never
risk your credibility by guessing,
exaggerating, or faking it.
Reliability—Once you have
established yourself as a source, be
sure to be available for short-notice
interviews. Always return calls
promptly. Be proactive to bring
issues of importance to the
reporter’s attention, both formally
and informally.
Respect—Always remember that a
reporter has a job to do. They have
an ethic to be truthful and impartial.
They have a role guaranteed by the
First Amendment of the
Constitution to be a government
watchdog, and they take their job as
seriously as you take yours.
Don’t expect a good reporter to
always treat you like a friend, but if
your goal is for the American public
to better understand who the Service
is, what the Service does, and why
the Service does it, then you share a
lot of common ground with that
reporter!
Pitching Stories to the Press
When bringing a story idea to a
reporter, either in a news release or
phone call, think in terms of the
basic elements of a news story, and a
story angle.
Story Elements:
Change—The definition of a news
story is that it is something new, or
previously unknown by the public.
Focus on what is different. It could
be a new way of doing things, or new
information. For example, survey
results and other studies often are
sources of new information.
Superlatives that come from records
(best, worst, most, etc.) all are
potential sources of news. Before
you contact the reporter, decide:
■ What is the HEADLINE for this
story? Help the reporter get that
headline.
Image—News stories are enhanced
with an image. For newspapers or
TV news, the image is a still photo or
video. For radio, the image is
conveyed by sound. Before you
contact the reporter, decide:
■ What is the IMAGE that captures
this story? Help the reporter get
that image.
Attitude—Most stories include a
quote that gives a reaction from
someone involved, a witness, a
victim, or an expert on the subject
matter. The reaction conveys
emotion, context, or perspective in a
sound bite. Before you contact the
reporter, decide:
■ What will you say when quoted
in this story? Help the reporter
to get your quote.
Story Angles:
■ Crime—Abominable acts, abuse
of power, law enforcement
■ Pocketbook issues/Economic
Impacts—Jobs, construction,
tourism, Government saving or
wasting money
■ The following topics offer good
possibilities for wildlife stories:
■ Good News/Bad News—Survey
results, threats to wildlife, listing
actions.
28
■ Kids—Learning about animals,
helping animals
■ Help Wanted—Asking public for
help in finding criminals, report
sightings, etc.
■ Spin-offs—Wildlife links with
other stories (droughts, fires,
weather), and seasonal topics
■ Animal Stories—Unusual
behavior of animals, amusing
photography, etc.
Writing a Press Release
General Principles:
1. A press release is an official
expression of the Service that
could reach thousands or even
millions of people. Be sure it is
totally accurate, and that it meets
regional requirements for review
prior to distribution (If you are
unsure, check with your Regional
Media Relations Liaison).
2. Use official Service letterhead, or
designated Press Release form,
which includes agency name and
phone number and designated
individual for follow up contacts.
3. It is NOT like scientific writing
with key information and
conclusions at the end. It should
use active-voice prose, and begin
with the most important message
up front.
4. Include the appropriate Basic
Service Messages.
5. The purpose of a press release is
to generate responses from
reporters that will lead to stories
in the press, so be sure there will
be someone available to respond
immediately to questions from
reporters.
When crafting your press release:
1. Before you begin, identify the
objective for the press release,
and develop the key message
points you need to include.
2. Focus on the interests of the
public: How are they affected?
Why should they care?
3. Use inverted pyramid format,
with most important facts at
beginning and additional details
in order of importance.
4. Construct a lead paragraph that
answers the questions, “Who,
what, when, where, why?”
Sometimes you may need to
discuss the “how.”
5. Keep it simple, brief, and to the
point.
6. Avoid jargon and acronyms.
7. Consider including a quote from a
Service employee to help
establish the Service’s stake and
credibility in the issue.
Correcting Mistakes
Reporters are human, and even
after your best outreach efforts they
sometimes make mistakes. After you
have worked with a reporter on a
story, be sure to read, watch, or
listen to it carefully for any errors.
Using tact and discretion, bring any
errors immediately to the attention
of the reporter. Keep in mind that
they have a keen interest in getting
facts correct if they are to survive in
the information business, and errors
are usually honest mistakes. They
will not always be able or willing to
make corrections, but your
complaints will let them know they
are under your scrutiny, and they
will be more careful with Service
stories in the future. Whenever you
see errors in media reports, advise
your Regional Media Relations
Liaison, specified Outreach
Coordinator, or other External
Affairs staff of the errors, and how
you are responding. They will alert
other service offices and partners, as
appropriate.
Correcting Errors in Broadcast
Media:
1. When you see or hear an error,
call the station and ask to speak
to the reporter or someone on the
news staff IMMEDIATELY to
point out the error. Your early call
may prevent the mistake from
being repeated in a later
newscast.
2. Your first call should always be to
the reporter who made the error,
if possible. If they convince you it
was an honest error, you may
want to let it drop.
3. If same reporter makes repeated
errors, or seems to be biased
toward making the Service look
bad, contact the news director or
station manager and inform them
of the errors. Ask to have another
reporter assigned to cover
Service issues. Consult your
Regional External Affairs office
before taking this step.
Correcting Errors in Print Media:
1. When you see the error, call the
reporter IMMEDIATELY to
point out the error. Your early call
may prevent the mistake from
being repeated in later editions or
syndication. Ask if the story may
be picked up by a wire service
(AP, UP, Reuters, etc.), and if so,
ask for assistance to correct their
versions.
2. Your first call should always be to
the reporter who made the error,
if possible. If they convince you it
was an honest error and the error
is relatively insignificant, you may
want to let it drop. If it is a
significant error, ask for a printed
correction.
3. If same reporter makes repeated
errors, or seems to be biased
toward making the Service look
bad, contact the editor and inform
him/her of the errors. Ask to have
another reporter assigned to
cover Service issues. Consult your
Regional External Affairs office
before taking this step.
4. If you determine that the error
requires a response in a letter to
the editor, consult with your
Regional Media Relations Liaison
for guidance and assistance.
For guidance on writing Letters to
the Editor and Op-Ed Pieces, see
Appendix A-5
All persons who interact with news
media are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
29
Summary: Service policies encourage
employees to join professional
organizations and community
organizations to enhance Service
professionalism and support. If
approved in advance, Service
funding may be available for
designated membership activities.
A Critical Public: Non-Service
Professional Peers
In difficult and controversial natural
resource management issues, the
Service can generate needed
support with a variety of publics by
gaining the support of non-Service
professional peers. Their third-party
endorsement of a Service position
enhances Service credibility, helps
build trust in the Service position,
and helps move toward greater
acceptance of the position by other
publics.
One way for the Service to foster
relationships with non-Service
professional peers is for Service
employees to become personally
involved with professional
organizations. When Service
employees become members and
participate in these organizations,
they can enhance their own skills
and capabilities while helping build
visibility and respect for the Service.
See Director’s Memorandum on
pages 29-30 for complete details.
Membership in Community
Organizations
By joining local community
organizations, Service employees
build bridges of trust with members
of publics with whom they do not
share the same professional
interests. Instead, community
organizations provide opportunities
to build relationships based on
informal communications regarding
other, non-professional common
interests, ranging from leisure
activities to general community
service. These informal
communications become especially
important for conveying credible
information in a more neutral
atmosphere on controversial issues.
See Director’s Order No. 95 on
pages 31-32 for complete details.
Chapter 3.c.: Membership in Professional and
Community Organizations
30
31
July 27, 1999
To: Fish and Wildlife Service Employees
From: Acting Director /s/ John G. Rogers
Subject: Membership and Participation in Professional Societies
To effectively serve the public in carrying out the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission, we
must maintain a diverse and highly qualified work force of professionals so that our management
is based on the best available science and meets professional standards.
In recent years there have been many advances in knowledge of basic ecosystem processes,
condition of public land resources, and management principles. With the many resource
conservation challenges we face it is essential for all Service employees, regardless of occupation,
to maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills.
We believe that membership, involvement, and participation in professional societies are more
important now than ever, for the purposes of maintaining and enhancing our capabilities in
professional resource management. Our membership and participation will not only help in
developing a professional work force but also enhance the public perception of Service
employees. Other intangible benefits associated with professional society involvement include:
Higher agency visibility and enhanced reputation or respect through employee professional
interactions, participation and networking with others;
Employee growth in both ability and knowledge;
Enhanced effectiveness of employees in carrying out Service programs;
Enhanced employee morale, self-esteem and motivation; and
Development of leadership qualities in Service employees.
Employees may serve in professional organizations under three different circumstances:
(A) The employee participates in the outside organization in his or her private capacity and not
on Government time.
(B) The employee participates in the outside organization in his or her private capacity. However,
the supervisor allows official time for the employee to attend an outside function of the
association, such as a meeting or convention, when the supervisor determines that it is in the
best interest of the Government, and does not result in a direct conflict of interest or create the
appearance thereof.
(C) The Service requires that the employee participate in the outside organization in his or her
official capacity, as a representative of the Service.
32
All employees who are required or who wish to serve as an officer in a private sector organization
while on official Government duty time must (a) have a written Memorandum of Understanding
between the Service and the organization in which the employee is required or desires to serve
as an officer; (b) have a waiver of the conflict of interest prohibition at 18 U.S.C. 208(b) signed by
the Service Deputy Ethics Counselor; and (c) secure training from the appropriate Ethics
Counselor (See Director Order No. 117, dated December 22, 1998, for detailed information).
It is Service policy to support and encourage attendance at appropriate professional society
meetings, while recognizing that budgetary constraints may limit the Service travel support for
attending meetings. With this in mind, we need to review requests for attending non-governmental
meetings on a case-by-case basis. When attendance is approved, the Service will
assist with the travel expenses, attendance fees, and/or duty time for employee attendance at
meetings. Where employees have personally paid membership dues and contributed personal
time and money to maintain professional status, managers should give priority consideration for
attendance at meetings.
We recognize that the Service has limited budgetary resources to pay travel and attendance fees
for everyone who wants to attend a non-governmental meeting. We must set criteria for
determining who the Service will assist in attending the meeting of societies, organizations, or
associations. Criteria listed in priority ranking are offered below to help in determining
attendance at non-governmental meetings for the following:
1. Officials or committee chairpersons in the sponsoring organization, association or society; or,
2. Presenters of papers, speeches or instructors as part of the official program; or,
3. Service representatives who are a spokesperson or on official duties that require interfacing
with the organization; or,
4. Employees with previously identified training needs as reflected in an Individual Development
Plan to enhance their job performance which would be provided by attending symposiums,
paper sessions, or continuing education training at the scheduled meeting; or,
5. General members of the sponsoring organization.
In closing, all managers should encourage professional affiliation and membership in appropriate
organizations, associations, and societies. Managers should take opportunities to invite members
from professional organizations to discuss their activities with employees and to involve Service
representatives in outside task groups or steering committees.
33
United States Department of the Interior
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Washington, D.C. 20240
DIRECTOR’S ORDER NO. 95
Subject: Membership in Community Organizations
Sec. 1 Purpose. This Order promulgates revised U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy concerning
Service and employee membership in community organizations.
Sec. 2 Scope. This policy applies to all Service offices and employees. Community organizations
included under this policy are those such as the Lion’s Club, the Kiwanis Club, chambers of
commerce, or similar organizations that are established to further community well being and
whose purpose and objectives are consistent with those of the Service. Membership in political
and professional organizations is addressed elsewhere and is excluded from the scope of this
Order.
Sec. 3 Policy.
1. Service employees may join any community organization provided that such membership is
paid for by the individual, is for the individual, and does not in any way imply membership as
an employee of the Service. As members of community organizations, all views must be
expressed as those of the individual and not as those of the Service. Employees who pay their
own membership dues may not lawfully represent the organization before a Federal agency,
except in limited circumstances. Questions regarding a specific representation situation should
be directed to the appropriate servicing ethics counselor.
2. Where a Regional Director or Assistant Director determines it is in the best interest of the
Service and where such action will promote outreach to members of the local community and
encourage better understanding and cooperation, he or she may authorize the use of
appropriated funds to secure Service membership in community organizations included
within the scope of this Order.
(1)This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis. This authority may not be re-delegated.
The membership must be established in the name of the Service. Appropriated
funds are not to be used to establish memberships in the name of any individual although a
Service employee or employees may be designated to represent the Service at meetings
and functions of the community organization. Any individual representing the Service is
expected to maintain the position of the Service with regard to representing the
organization before any Federal agency or any other entity.
3. Service employees are prohibited from serving in an official capacity as officer, director,
trustee, or employee of a community organization. The U.S. Department of Justice recently
issued an opinion that states that serving in an official capacity as an officer, director, or
trustee in a non-federal, non-profit entity is a violation of 18 U.S.C. 208, a criminal statute.
The Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, is currently reviewing this issue. It is
expected that the Department will issue policy requiring employees to obtain a statutory
waiver in order to serve in an official capacity as an officer in an outside organization.
We will issue Service policy once guidance is received from the Department.
34
4. Where an individual membership in a community organization is established under section 3a,
an individual serving as an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the community
organization must recuse himself/herself from working on any particular matter as a
government employee when the organization in which he or she is serving has a financial
interest in those government matters.
5. Where an employee joins a community organization under section 3a, it is very unlikely that
the government would provide legal representation to the employee in the event a law suit is
filed against the community organization or the employee as the result of the employee’s
activities with the community organization. Even where the employee is a Service
representative under section 3b, a case-by-case determination regarding government legal
representation will have to be made.
Sec. 4 Effective Date. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until
incorporated in the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual or until it is amended, superseded, or
revoked, whichever occurs first. In the absence of the foregoing actions, the provisions of this
Order will terminate and be considered obsolete on December 31, 1997.
SGD/ JOHN G. ROGERS
Acting Director
Date: May 14, 1997
_________________ (note: effective date has been extended.)
1. To be an eligible organization for Service membership, the community organization may not
discriminate in membership on the basis of any reason such as race, sex, religion, age, national
origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
Environmental Education—
Definition
“Education” is gaining knowledge,
understanding, and skills, by study,
instruction, or experience.
“Environmental education” (EE) is
gaining knowledge, understanding,
skills, and experience about the
environment (i.e. wildlife and
ecosystems) through study,
instruction or experience.
Environmental education, when
planned to support our goals and
objectives for resource management,
can be a powerful outreach tool.
Environmental education is a
process aimed at developing a world
population that is aware of and
concerned about the total
environment, and its associated
problems. It provides the
knowledge, skills, attitudes,
motivation, and commitment to work
individually and collectively toward
solutions for current problems and
the prevention of new ones.
EE has been referred to as “a long-term
means to the even longer-term
end.” Many educators have
recognized the long-term advantage
of reaching out to young people who
are still forming the values they will
hold throughout their life times. As
such, they are much more receptive
to new ideas than their adult
counterparts and far more likely to
adopt a philosophy of natural
resource conservation that will stay
with them throughout their lives.
Broadening the Scope of
Environmental Education:
Does EE need to be limited to young
people? Absolutely not. For one
thing, EE programs can become a
bridge for working with other
publics, such as public interest
groups and community organizations
working toward goals they have in
common with the Service. In
addition, the creative approaches to
learning that EE programs often use
can be adopted for use with other
publics in non-academic forums, such
as presentations to groups, special
events, and even one-on-one
meetings with opinion leaders.
To be effective, EE cannot stand
alone to carry messages to all
publics. The 1998 survey data from
the National Report Card on
Environmental Knowledge,
Attitudes, and Behaviors found “no
evidence that parents have higher
levels of environmental knowledge
than other adults,” so we can not do
just “kids” programs as a way of
reaching adults. Though it can be a
powerful force for outreach, EE
must be a part of a well coordinated,
comprehensive outreach plan that
uses the best tools to convey the
same basic message, adjusted for
each separate audience.
To keep pace with the increasing
complexity of resource-management
issues, Service-conducted EE is
broadening its scope to reach
beyond the formal education setting
with K-12 audiences to education of
target audiences of all ages. This
does not mean that we stop working
with children, but that we consider
them as one of many audiences to
reach. From the day we are born
until the day we die, we all continue
to learn. As our experiences change,
and knowledge and awareness are
enhanced, our attitudes and
behaviors shift accordingly. Service
EE strives to recognize that all
publics are subject to continuing
education and works toward
behavior shifts being responsible
towards the environment.
Many excellent EE plans and
materials have already been
developed. Before you spend time or
resources on curriculum
development, check out what may be
available from fellow Service EE
specialists and nationally recognized
EE organizations. Ask your
Assistant Regional Director,
External Affairs, or check with the
National Conservation Training
Center for assistance.
Part of the Plan:
EE benefits the Service most when
it is part of a larger National
Outreach Strategy, with its goals,
audiences, and messages. When
developing educational materials, be
sure they complement the Strategy
and other Service outreach plans,
with complementary goals, target
audiences, and specific messages
that need to reach those audiences.
As Service Director Jamie
Rappaport Clark has said, “I urge
you to think about environmental
education in new ways; not just as
kid stuff, but as a way to reach
additional audiences and build new
community partnerships in support
of healthy fish, wildlife, and plant
resources for the future.”
Guidelines for Environmental
Education in Outreach
According to the National Outreach
Strategy, environmental education
activities should be planned and
executed and support other Service
outreach to:
1. Include information about the
Service and its mission (Basic
Messages).
2. Help build community
relationships.
3. Support specific Service resource
priorities.
4. Make effective use of Service
resources.
5. Serve the needs of field stations.
6. Reach the broadest possible
audience.
Chapter 4: Special Outreach Tools
Chapter 4.a.: Environmental Education:
It’s Not Just Kid Stuff
35
When effectively integrated into
Service outreach plans, EE can help
in these ways:
1. Reach other influential members
of the community, including
teachers, school board members,
and elected officials.
2. Enlist the help of young people in
projects that benefit resources,
such as environmental clean-up,
visitor services, and monitoring
wildlife activities (for example,
the Internet-based Sister Schools
Shorebird Project)
3. Generate opportunities for news
media coverage.
4. Build a long-term constituency of
individuals who value the nation’s
fish and wildlife resources.
Guiding Principles for
Environmental Education:
1. Environmental education is an
important and effective
management tool and should be
resource-based to meet the
Service mission and management
goals and objectives.
2. Environmental education services
should be multi-disciplinary and
multi-cultural to meet the needs
of all populations.
3. Environmental education should
aim to develop in people of all
ages an understanding,
appreciation, and support for fish
and wildlife management and
encourage active participation in
resource protection.
Outcomes:
A sense of ownership in the fish and
wildlife related issues of the local
area will generate a sense of concern
and support for fish and wildlife
management policies and national
programs. Environmental education
programs developed and
implemented within the Service
must meet nationally established
criteria, yet be tailored to meet each
Region’s needs and issues. Model
programs, curriculum packages,
teacher training workshops, and
other programs will enable
participants to:
1. Gain an appreciation for the
importance of fish and wildlife
resources and their habitats
2. Understand the ecological
concepts upon which Service
management concepts are based.
3. Comprehend the issues
surrounding the management of
fish and wildlife resources, and
the critical problems confronting
the resources.
4. Make informed, responsible
decisions about fish and wildlife
resources and take positive action
toward solving the problems
confronting the resources.
Community-Based
Education:
One powerful and effective
environmental education strategy is
community-based education. This
strategy involves conducting the
outreach in the area where change
needs to occur, and specifically
aiming for the different age groups
or constituents within that area. A
typical community-based approach
might include the following:
■ Conducting a teacher workshop
■ K-12 (kindergarten through
twelfth grade) education activities
at the school
■ Hosting a family evening or
weekend program or
presentation,
■ Hosting a city meeting,
■ Providing an open house, and
■ Having a meal or coffee break
with key individuals in the
community.
Success hinges on reaching everyone
in the community in some way
during the same time frame.
Eventually, citizens of all ages
throughout the community will
recognize the consistency of the
messages you want to convey
through your education programs.
When they begin to discuss the issue
among themselves, the program is
working!
In large cities, where a sense of
community may be lost, proper
front-end outreach planning will
help ensure the correct “outreach
mix” to needed to bolster the
education component and increase
chances of success. The broad reach
of community-based environmental
education greatly enhances its
ability to support resource
management objectives.
Do’s and Don’ts for
Successful Environmental
Education Programs
Important Do’s:
■ Plan your environmental
education programs to directly
reflect your resource
management issues.
■ Plan your K-12 education
curriculum to meet the National
Science Standards.
■ When possible, take a community-based
approach to environmental
education.
■ Make your programs fun and
engaging (hands-on learning).
■ Focus on your specific messages,
goals, and objectives.
■ Evaluate the success of your
programs frequently.
■ Consider education programs for
all ages.
■ Be flexible and creative.
Important Don’ts:
■ Don’t lose sight of your goal
because it seems to be taking too
long to get there. Baby steps are
okay!
■ Don’t forget to provide
opportunities for people to get
involved in conservation
initiatives.
■ Don’t get stuck in a rut. If one
method isn’t working, just
restructure your program.
■ Don’t hesitate to reach out to
your colleagues and friends for
ideas and support.
36
37
■ Don’t do programs that are not
working towards your
management and education goals
and objectives.
■ Don’t forget that you are a role
model to students and other
people, on or off the job.
■ Don’t forget to reward your
partners/volunteers for their
support.
■ Don’t say “I can’t afford it” or “I
don’t have time.” We can’t afford
to NOT do education.
■ Don’t rely on environmental
education alone to communicate
about immediate issues. EE is a
long term effort and only one part
of an effective outreach program.
Persons involved in environmental
education are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
Key Contacts for Environmental Education
Service Contacts:
This Office:
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Regional Office:
Environmental Education Point of Contact: ___________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
Other Regional Points of Contact: ____________________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
National Conservation
Training Center:
Points of Contact: __________________________________________ Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________
Area School Contacts:
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
School: ________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________
Environmental Education Point of Contact: __________________________________________________________
Phone/Fax ___________ E-mail ___________ Comments: _______________________________________________
Internet: As the number of people
who are “online” increases, so does
the importance of including the
Internet in outreach planning as an
important communications tool.
When used skillfully, the Internet
can relay information to the
scientific community, the education
community, other agencies, the
business community, and many
others.
As with any outreach tool, the
Internet is most effective when used
in concert with coordinated outreach
involving traditional tools. You see
articles and ads in newspapers,
magazines, and on television and
radio, highlighting Internet
addresses (URLs). You see URLs on
business cards. Web pages enhance
standard outreach techniques,
rather than replace them.
Each Region and many Service
programs have websites already in
place. If you are contemplating using
the Internet for your outreach
activity, get in touch with your
Regional External Affairs Office and
your Regional Webmaster for
specific policies, guidance and
advice.
Intranet (SII): The Service’s Internal
Internet, or the SII, operates like an
Internet website but has been
designed to be used and accessed
only by Service employees. It allows
us to store and share information
not used by the general public, like
meeting notes, procedures and
policies, document drafts,
discussions, etc. Visit the SII at
http://sii.fws.gov.
Name/Number of Regional
Webmaster:
_______________________________
For general guidance, be sure to
check out the Service’s Web
Publishing Home Page at
http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
and the Outreach Home Page in the
Service’s Internal Intranet at
http://sii.fws.gov/outreach/
Both are solid sources of additional,
up-to-date information and who-to-contact
links. For guidance on
specific Internet/Intranet activities,
check the dozens of Online Tutorials
at http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
train/tutorials.htm
Several of particular interest are:
■ How to Plan and Coordinate Your
Web Site With Others Inside/
Outside FWS
■ How to Choose the Right Tool
(Print Publications, Web Pages,
Listservers, Newsgroups, TV,
etc.)
■ How to Write for the Web
Audience(s)
■ How to Build and Maintain a Site
With Non-FWS Partners
■ How FWS Can Advertise and Sell
Products Via the Web
■ How to Build a Virtual Visitor
Center
The Service also has a publications
site at http://www.nctc.fws.gov/
library/.
Advantages of Internet in
Outreach:
■ Access to large numbers of the
public, both nationally and
internationally.
■ Ability to target specific publics.
■ Ability to measure effectiveness
(number of “hits”).
■ Ability to obtain direct feedback
from on-line public.
■ Ability to include very complex
information, including graphics,
maps, etc.
■ Rapid transfer of information
(highly important in crises,
controversies).
■ Reduction of costs for printing
and mailing publications and
documents.
Web pages allow you to “broadcast”
(and color pictures are free!) and
they also allow you to “narrowcast.”
We can bypass the filtering done
by the mass media. On the Web,
you can reach biologists, farmers,
schoolteachers, and other audiences
with a tighter focus than even radio
provides.
Chapter 4.b.: The Internet/Intranet and Listservers
38
Disadvantages of Internet in
Outreach:
■ Requires expense, expertise, and
time to build and maintain a
useful website.
■ May be subject to “hacking,”
viruses, or other information
distortion.
■ On-line Public is generally limited
to middle or upper income
population.
■ For maximum exposure, websites
generally require promotion by
other means of communication.
The official Directorate guidance
regarding Web publishing is online
at: http://sii.fws.gov/webpublish/
dirguide.htm
Director’s Memo (May 28, 1998)
creating the Web Publishing Council
Director’s Memo (October 13, 1998)
requiring Web publishing plans from
each AD/RD and the actual Web
Publishing Plans that resulted.
All Employee Message (October 19,
1998) on Coordination and Review of
Service Internet Publications.
Listservers
The Service uses various web-based
Listservers to broadcast simple and
quick information to a list of internal
and external subscribers.
Listservers are another way of
receiving up to date information
which appears in you email. Those
who are involved in outreach should
consider subscribing to the fws-outreach
listserver, along with the
fws-news listserver and the fws-web
listserver to stay up-to-speed on
what’s happening in Service
outreach, news/press releases and
web management.
To subscribe to the fws-outreach
listserver:
Click on New Memo
In the “To:” brackets type,
listserv@www.fws.gov
Leave the “Subject:” line blank.
Tab into the body section of the
message and type:
subscribe fws-outreach
your email name
Click on Send.
To subscribe to the fws-news
listserver:
Go to http://news.fws.gov/
listser.html
39
Forming partnerships can be the
Service’s most successful and
productive outreach activity. By
forming partnerships, the Service
establishes the closest possible
relationships with members of
publics that are willing to provide
the highest level of support for
specific issues. Virtually all Service
programs and initiatives can be
strengthened through the formation
of partnerships.
Partnerships—Definitions:
A partnership is a type of
collaboration. Collaboration is a
mutually beneficial and well-defined
relationship entered into by two or
more organizations to achieve
results they are more likely to
achieve together than alone.
A partnership is a voluntary
collaboration of individuals,
organizations, or both, to achieve
common goals on a specific project
within a definite amount of time. It
often involves exchange or flow of
money or resources.
Why Partnerships?
As many Service project leaders
have recognized, partnerships often
provide the only politically and
fiscally practical way to resolve
conflicts in an increasingly
competitive and complex world. As
they go through the process of
forming these bonds with specific
publics, the project leaders learn
more about these publics, their
concerns and their strengths. Once
the bond of partnership is properly
forged, both agency and public take
on a “we’re all in this together”
attitude, and the resources are the
beneficiaries.
Advantages of Partnerships
to Service Outreach:
■ The existence of a partnership
conveys a high level of trust and
confidence in the Service on a
given issue, thereby enhancing
Service credibility among other
publics.
■ Partners can assist the Service by
helping to convey Service
outreach messages to other
publics.
■ Partnerships strengthen Service
programs and activities by
contributing financial, intellectual,
and/or moral support from
partners.
■ Partners bring the strength of
diversity to an agency or project.
Partnership Assessment
Guide
■ Will the partnership solve or
significantly impact a problem?
■ Is the time available for
participation by partners?
■ Are the goals of the project in the
interest of the agency and within
its mandate?
■ Do your prospective partners all
have a reason to participate in the
partnership?
■ Are cooperation and collaboration
needed to do the project?
■ Do you need additional
information or resources that the
partners can provide?
■ Is acceptance of the decision or
project critical to effective
implementation?
■ If you made the decision or did
the project on your own, would
the involved stakeholders accept
it?
■ Has the partnership identified all
groups needed for the project to
be successful?
■ Will the partnership be voluntary
and equitable?
Do’s and Don’ts of
Partnerships
Do:
��� Take the initiative. Talk to people.
Think creatively about ways to
work with others to achieve
commons goals while furthering
agency objectives.
■ Clearly define the objectives of a
potential partnership, the
resources that each participant
would bring to the activity, and
the benefits that each stands to
gain.
■ Be inclusive. Early on, involve
people whose approval or
participation will be ultimately
required.
■ Put ideas in writing for people
who may be interested. Make
sure to represent them as ideas
rather than agreement.
■ Learn about prospective
partners. Be comfortable with
their reputations and capabilities
before joining or forming a
partnership with them.
■ Investigate alternative strategies
for achieving the objective. Are
other avenues or other partners
better suited to accomplish the
objectives?
Chapter 4.c.: Partnerships
40
■ Be realistic in estimating the
often lengthy time periods
required to initiate and
implement a partnership.
Anticipate, be prepared for, and
expect delays.
Don’t:
■ Limit the ways you use
partnerships to further agency
objectives.
■ Wait until the last minute to bring
in supervisors, public affairs, or
agreement specialists to review
the contemplated partnership.
■ Endorse any company or external
product that will be put up for
sale.
■ Exceed your authority to solicit
partnership funding from private
sources.
■ Lose focus on the goals of the
partnerships.
■ Get into turf battles.
■ Get frustrated if there are delays.
Remember that time periods are
estimates only!
For additional information on
forming partnerships, see
Appendix A-6
All persons involved in forming
partnerships are encouraged to take
advantage of specialized training
offered by the National
Conservation and Training
Center (NCTC).
41
Above the Fold—Literally, the
location on the front page of a
newspaper that appears above
where the newspaper is folded. This
location is reserved for the most
important stories.
Actuality—The portion of a radio
news report which is recorded at the
scene of the story, including natural
sound or taped interview.
Ambush Interview—When a TV
news crew arrives without advance
notice to interview a person who is
not expecting the interview. Caught
off-guard, the subject of the
interview often looks furtive or
guilty of something.
Anchor—A news person who
usually is broadcast from the TV
station and introduces stories by
other reporters, or reads stories
from behind a desk. Often anchors
work in pairs.
Angle—The approach, focus, or
emphasis that a reporter takes when
preparing a story.
Arbitron—A commonly used service
which measures broadcast audiences
for radio stations.
Art—In newspapers and magazines,
and illustration, chart, graphic, or
photograph that accompanies a
story.
Assignment Editor—In a radio or TV
newsroom, the person who
determines which reporters and
photographers will cover which
stories. Though the assignment
editor is not the only member of a
news staff who determines which
stories will be covered, he/she is the
single best person to contact if you
have a story you want to be covered.
B Roll—Videotape showing scenes
or images that are generally related
to a particular story or subject, such
as scenery, wildlife, people working,
etc. B roll is used during the editing
process to add additional visual
interest to a story.
Bird—A broadcast satellite.
Bite—Short for “sound bite,”
referring to the small portion of a
recorded radio or TV interview
which is used in the reporter’s
story. Bites usually last no more
than 15 seconds. Bites from separate
portions of the same interview may
be edited together to make them
appear as if they were spoken
together.
Block—A set of news stories on a
news cast which are broadcast
together, without interruption for a
commercial break. Stories in the
first “block” are those the station
deems most newsworthy.
Break—In TV: The periods of the
newscast during which commercials
are run. In Newspapers: The place
where a story ends on one page, to
be continued on another.
Breaking News—See “news” below.
“Breaking” news is distinguished by
that news which is most immediate,
or happening at the time of the
report.
Bug—A small microphone that can
transmit conversations. A bug that is
secretly planted to record
conversations without the knowledge
of those recorded is illegal under
FCC regulations except when used
by police with a warrant.
Bulldog Edition—The first edition
of a newspaper.
Call Letters—The letters which
identify radio and TV broadcast
stations. Stations west of the
Mississippi begin with “K,” east of
the Mississippi they begin with “W.”
Canned Story, or In the Can—A story
that is ready to be printed or
broadcast. Often used to refer to a
story written or produced by a wire
service, network, or source other
than the news organization using it.
Congress—For purposes of Service
outreach, the term “Congress”
encompasses members of the U.S.
House of Representatives and the
U.S. Senate, and members of their
staffs, both in Washington D.C. and
in their home states or districts.
Chroma-Key—A TV device used to
superimpose graphics or words on
the image being broadcast, such as
the name and title of the person
shown speaking.
Crawl—Additional information in
the form of words and numbers
which move horizontally across the
bottom of the TV image while
regular programming is underway.
Usually provides emergency or
bulletin information such as weather
warnings, elections results, etc.
Cutline—The information below a
photograph which describes the
contents of the photograph and may
give photo credit.
Dateline—The first words in a print
news story which indicate where the
story comes from, and often the
source, which is often a wire service,
for example, SAN FRANCISCO—
Reuters. In prior years, the date was
also included (hence the name
“dateline”), but today all news
stories are assumed to be dated the
same day as published, and most
papers delete the date.
Glossary of Outreach Terms
G–1
Defamation—“Communication that
exposes a person to hatred, ridicule,
or contempt, or lowers him in the
esteem of his fellows, causes him to
be shunned, or injures his business
or calling. Its categories are libel–
broadly, printed or written material;
and slander–broadly, spoken words.”
(–Law of Mass Communications,
Nelson and Teeter.)
DBS—Direct broadcast satellite,
referring to a satellite which relays
TV signals directly to the viewer
from the source, rather than to a
local TV station or cable system for
relay to the viewer.
Display Advertising—Newspaper
ads that use large blocks of space,
usually including art or photos,
distinguished from classified ads.
Dub—Copy of a videotape or audio
tape.
ENG—Electronic news gathering
using videotape as the medium.
Environmental Education (EE)—
Gaining knowledge, understanding,
skills, and experience about the
environment (i.e. wildlife and
habitats) through study, instruction
or experience.
Equal Time—The federal
requirement that any broadcast
station which provides air time to a
political candidate during the
election process must provide equal
time to other candidates.
Exclusive—A news story that only
one news outlet covers, sometimes
by arrangement with the source of
the story. Also called a “scoop.”
Fairness Doctrine—In the past, this
was a federal FCC requirement that
broadcasters cover all sides of
controversial stories of public
importance. This requirement was
repealed in 1987.
FCC—The Federal Communications
Commission, which regulates all
electronic transmissions in the U.S.,
including radio, TV, cell phones, etc.
Feature—A news story that may not
be as timely or urgent as “hard”
news, and usually has a human
interest angle.
Grip—An assistant who works with
a TV crew, usually the sound
technician.
Hard News—See “News,” below.
“Hard” news is distinguished by its
emphasis on facts—the who, what,
where, when, and how of the story—
with a minimum of interpretation.
Hot—In broadcast production, any
of the following: a microphone that is
on; sound that is too loud; lighting
that is too bright.
Intercut—A TV editing technique
that places one person’s interview
directly next to another person’s
interview, without showing the
reporter, usually to heighten
controversy between opposing
viewpoints.
Key Informant—An individual
member of a particular public or
group whom you can rely on to help
you understand what that group is
thinking or feeling about particular
issue.
Kicker—The last story in a
newscast, usually something cute,
funny, or unusual, to end the
newscast on an upbeat note.
Lead—The opening sentence or
paragraph of a print news story,
which usually contains addresses the
who, what, where, when of the story.
Lead-In—The part of a news story
read by the anchor to introduce the
reporter’s story. The broadcast
equivalent of the headline for the
story.
Libel—See “Defamation,” above.
Listener—A video shot of the
reporter listening the to the person
being interviewed. Sometimes called
“noddies,” because the reporters
often nod during the shot, as if they
agree with or understand what the
person is saying. These shots are
used in the editing process as
cutaways for smoother transitions
between sound bites.
Masthead—The box in a newspaper
that shows the newspaper name,
editor, publisher, often on the
editorial page.
Morgue—The library of a
newspaper that keeps copies of
previous stories by subject.
Reporters rely on morgues for
background information.
News—A timely event that will
have wide interest to most people,
such as a disaster, an important
discovery, unusual weather event,
etc. Generally, the news media
consider an event to be “news” if
they say it is.
News Director—The person in
charge of the entire news
department in a TV or radio station,
and who does the hiring and firing of
all reporters, anchors and technical
crew.
G–2
Glossary of Outreach Terms
News Hole—The space in a
newspaper for news stories, which
increases or decreases along with
the amount of the advertising for the
day.
News Peg—A local news story that
is linked to another larger or
ongoing story, including national or
international stories.
Op-Ed—The page in a newspaper
opposite the editorial page, which
usually contains other opinions,
letters to the editor, etc.
Out-Takes—Audio and videotape
taken in the course of news
gathering, but not used in the story
that is aired.
Outreach—Two-way communication
between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the public to establish
mutual understanding, promote
involvement, and influence attitudes
and actions, with the goal of
improving joint stewardship of our
natural resources.
Package—A complete videotape
production of an individual TV news
story, which usually includes the
reporters report, background audio
and video, and one or more
interviews.
Partnership—Voluntary
collaboration of individuals,
organizations, or both, to achieve
common goals on a specific project
within a definite amount of time. It
often involves exchange or flow of
money or resources.
Pool—A group of reporters and
photographers who agree among
themselves that one will cover the
story and share the story and/or
photos/video with others. These
arrangements are usually made only
when access to a story location is
limited. Note: If a government
official can offer only limited access
to a story location (for instance,
because space on an aircraft is
limited), the official should allow
interested reporters to make their
own pool arrangements, not assign
one.
PSA—Public Service
Announcement. Used on radio and
TV stations like commercials, these
short spots generally run free of
charge, from 10 to 60 seconds each,
and address some item of general
public interest. Though no longer
required by FCC regulations, most
stations still run PSAs to meet their
general FCC licensing requirement
to operate “in the public interest.”
Reader—A story that is read by an
anchor news person, without
accompanying visuals.
Release—A written agreement that
gives permission for the media to
use one’s picture or voice for
commercial purposes. A release is
not needed for news coverage.
Scoop—See “Exclusive” above.
Second Generation—Videotape
image copied from the original
videotape. With each successive copy
of a copy (third generation, fourth,
etc.), the image quality deteriorates
rapidly.
Side Bar—A secondary story
related to a larger story. Side Bars
are often feature story treatments of
an element from a hard news story.
Slander—See “Defamation,” above.
Standup—The portion of a TV news
story in which the reporter is shown
speaking directly to the viewer,
usually from the location, and to
close the story.
Talent—Jargon for those in TV
news who are actually shown on TV,
i.e., the reporters, anchors, weather
forecasters, and not the
photographers, technicians, etc.
Tight Shot—A picture in which only
one person is shown, often a closeup
of the person’s face, with little visible
background.
Tombstone—Two newspaper story
headlines are placed side-by-side,
with similar type size and font, so
readers may confuse them as one
continuous headline. It is a bad
layout.
Two-Shot—A picture showing two
persons, usually the reporter and
the interview subject talking
together.
Wrap—A TV or radio story that is
“wrapped” around a q